One of the farms in Buqdhada, near the disputed Elberdale farmlan: Photo Mohamed Amin Jibril / IRIN

HARGEISA - Officials are warning renewed fighting is likely between two rival clans in breakaway Somaliland, where they are reported to have amassed a large number of weapons and positioned hundreds of militiamen near disputed farmland in Gabiley region.

"We are afraid new conflict could break out any time," a police officer, who requested anonymity, told IRIN, adding that the clans had at least 1,000 militiamen, armed with automatic rifles such as AK47 rifles and BKM handguns, in or near the Elberdale farmland area.

The dispute over the farmland dates back to the 1950s with the two clans - the Reer Nour and Reer Hared - each claiming ownership.

Since the beginning of 2009, they have fought at least four times: in April, May, July and September, resulting in 19 deaths and several hundred families displaced.

Photo: Wikipedia Commons

Weapons smuggling

The militia leader, who requested anonymity, said: "There are two routes for weapons to enter Somaliland - crossing from Bosasso [in Puntland] to the eastern regions of Somaliland, and from the west, especially the area between Zaila and Lughaya at a place called Sanka Doonyaha, where fast boats load weapons at night."

Abdillahi Omar Qawdhan, a Somaliland coast guard consultant and marine expert, told IRIN: "We have information that illegal small arms are smuggled to parts of the Somaliland coast but what we know is that small-calibre ammunition is imported to the west coast in sacks by the Yemeni boats that import fuel and other items to the west coast ports such as Cel-Sheik, Bula-Har, Bulo-Addo and Zaila.

"We have information that even small arms such as the BKM and bullets are being imported by local businessmen. Weapons destined for Ethiopia as well as Somalia have been smuggled to these places.

"Since the beginning of 2009, we have recovered more than 300 pistols [smuggled in] from Yemen in the eastern Berbera [Sahil region]," he said.

However, Mohamed Osman Hudhun, Somaliland's western coast army chief, disputed this, saying: "There are no weapons imported into the western coast because I am from this area and every single incident is reported to me."

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Source: IRIN

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