Somaliland Authority Arrests Over 20 People Over Berbera Civil Unrest Incident

Berbera, November 25, 2006 (SL Times) –The regional Sahil authorities in Berbera, Somaliland said they have made an number of arrests in the past few days since last week’s (16 Nov 2006) civil unrest in Berbera which caused wide spread looting and destruction of governmental offices and public properties. Security forces in Berbera said they have arrested 20 people in connection with last week’s riots in the port city of Berbera.

Initially, local youth, students and residents in Berbera took to the streets in demonstration when news of the defunct cement plant on the outskirts of the city was said to be dismantled and sold abroad as scrap metal by local persons connected to the government. The demonstration quickly turned into a riot when local police tried to disburse the demonstrators. Soon after rampaging mobs among the crowds started to vandalise and loot government offices and local municipality headquarters causing much destruction and damage to government and public property.

Somaliland Times has learnt that the number of persons in custody arrested over the past week exceeds the government’s official number of 20 people arrested, according to our sources in Berbera over 40 men and 3 women are being held in custody in Berbera’s central police station and town prison. The minister of Interior, Mr Abdillahi Ismail was asked by S/times to comment on the number of those in custody but declined to give details of these arrests.

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