by Salaad Iidow Xasan (Xiis), Hiiraan Online
[email protected]
Mogadishu, Somalia
Monday, July 14, 2008
Spokesman for the Hawiye Clan Elders Organization Mr. Mohamed Hasan Had said that the people arrested were consist of people going to Hargeisa to attend a conference and others who were going visit their families.
“As far as we know there were 11 people arrested 9 of whom were on their way to attend a conference while the other two were elders. They were arrested in Galka’yo city,” said Ahmed Diriye Ali who asked Puntland administration to release those people from prison.
After 18 years of civil war and suffering, I don’t find it helpful to arrest people solely on the basis of the clan they belong to therefore we call upon the Puntlalnd administration to release those people from prison, repeated Ahmed Diriye Ali.
We were informed that those people were arrested based on suspicion with regards to the killing of late Ali Jama Bihi who was killed in Galka’yo. These people, however, were travelling to Somaliland and only travelling through Galka’yo there fore we call upon Puntland administration to release the people, said Ahmed Ali who warned that if they are not released it could lead to the arrest of people from Puntland.
The statement from the spokesman for the Hawiye Clan Elders Organization comes after a similar speech by a spokesman for Gal-Mudg State who administers south Galka’yo that the Puntland administration arrested people from Hawiye clan and asked Puntland administration to release the people.
Additional contribution by Mohamed Amin Ahmed, Hiiraan Online
© 2008 Hiiraan Online Inc.