16/04/07 (B391) Somaliland sacks Defense Minister as war with Puntland intensifies (En Anglais – Info lecteur). Le Président du Somaliland a démissionné son Ministre de la Défense, au motif qu’il aurait refusé d’obéir aux ordres et qu’il aurait mis en péril la sécurité du Pays.

HARGEISA,
15 April 2007–President of the breakaway Somaliland President Dahir Riyale
Kahin today sacked his Defense Minister Adan Mire Waqaf as fighting flared
between his forces and militia’s of neighbouring semi-autonomous Puntland
for the second time in a week.

A statement by the Information Minister, Ahmed Haji Dahir Elmi, a copy of
which was received by Awdalnews Network , said the President accused the Minister
of refusing his orders and taking actions that had jeopardized the security
of the country.

“The President has relived all responsibilities from the Minister of
Defense Adan Mire Waqaf after he refused to take the President orders who
is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and severed all communications
with the Military High Command,” the statement said.

The Defense Minister is already at the war front and has made no statement
on the President’s accusation.

President Rayale has appointed a war cabinet led by the Vice President, Ahmed
Yusuf Yasin, to supervise the war in the Eastern regions. The Committee includes
Ali Waran Adde, Minister of Civil Aviation, Abdi Hassan Buuni, Minister of
Parliamentary Affairs, and Ahmed Hassan Duale, Minister of State for Water
and Mineral Resources. The Committee will depart to the war front today.

Meanwhile reports say that the forces of the two sides used heavy weapons
in the clashes and Sunday over a strip of desert that has been the source
of sporadic violence for years. Both sides claim inflicting heavy casualties
on the other.

« Forces from Puntland attacked two positions held by Somaliland forces
outside the city of Dahar … in the afternoon, » Somaliland Information
Minister Ahmed Hagi Dahir said in a statement.

« We warn Puntland to stop the violation of Somaliland territory. »

Both Somaliland and Puntland, in the north of Somalia, have enjoyed relative
peace, while the south of the Horn of Africa country has been in a state of
lawlessness since the collapse of the central government of dictator Mohamed
Siad Barre.

The two sides have fought for years over the Sool and Sanag regions, part
of which Puntland claims as being of the Harti clan that also rules Puntland,
while Somaliland says they fall within its territorial borders left by the
British colonial administration.