One Killed, Nine Injured in Somali
Demonstration
Story Filed: Friday, March 24, 2000 1:50 PM EST
MOGADISHU (March 24) XINHUA - At least one man was killed and nine others wounded when
police fired at demonstrators in northern Somali port town of Bossaso on Friday.
Thousands of protestors took to the street after the president of the regional
government of Puntland, Colonel Abdullahi Yussuf Ahmed, declared on Thursday that he will
boycott the Djibouti proposed reconciliation conference aimed at searching for a central
government for Somalia.
According to the short-wave radio reports, the demonstrations first started peacefully
in the center of the town.
The demonstrators had been shouting slogans such as fully support the Djibouti
conference and Somalia unity as they proceeded to
Hurus Hotel in which Colonel Yussuf lives.
The policemen who were guarding the hotel first fired warning shots to the air, but the
angry demonstrators could not stop.
The policemen then fired live bullets at the people, killing a middle- aged man on the
spot and wounded nine others and forcing the protestors to flee for their lives.
The protestors have then started burning tires and stoning the policemen.
The police commander of Puntland, Abdullahi Saeed, strongly denied his policemen had
used excessive firepower against the unarmed civilians.
Peaceful demonstrations have likewise been reported in Galkaio and Garoweh, main towns
of Puntland.
All of the Somali faction leaders except Ali Mahdi Mohamed have declared their
opposition to the Djibouti proposed peace plan, while various communities across the
country have welcomed it as the final resort for peace, reconciliation and a government
for Somalia.
The government of Djibouti, responding to Yussuf's statement, has repeated its position
that it is only facilitating the conference, but the decisions will be left for the
Somalis to make.
Copyright © 2000, Xinhua News Agency, all rights reserved.
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