Thousands of inhabitants of Bossasso, in the Somali region of Puntland (northeast), fled the city after several days of fighting, AFP learned from local authorities on Saturday, confirming information published by the Office of the Affairs. Humanitarian Aid (Ocha) in Somalia.
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This port located on the Gulf of Aden, commercial capital of Puntland, has seen fighting erupt since Tuesday between two opposing fringes within the security forces in the region. "
Thousands of residents of the city of Bossasso have fled these days as sporadic fighting broke out in different parts of the city,
" Abdirizak Mohamed, a local government official, told AFP on Saturday, reached by telephone.
“
Most of the people decided to leave their homes after both warring parties used heavy weapons and mortars,
” he added. The official added that the "
exact
" number of displaced people was not known. It was difficult on Saturday to establish how many people had died, some sources citing "
eight
" or "
ten
" dead, mainly civilians.
On Friday, Ocha's representation in Somalia said it was "
extremely concerned
" about the impact on civilians of the local violence. "
As the fighting continues in the town of Bossaso for the third day in a row, more than half of the town's population has reportedly been displaced,
" Adam Abdelmoula, UN humanitarian affairs coordinator, wrote in a statement. Somalia, without giving a precise figure.
In addition, according to information from Ocha, “
around 40% of the 70,000 internally displaced persons
” already present in Bossasso are currently experiencing a “
second displacement
” due to the violence.
Located in the far north of the country, Puntland is one of the five semi-autonomous states that make up Somalia, a deeply unstable federal country rocked by violence for decades.