• Tripartite negotiations underway in Harta Sheikh
• President Ilay promises to pay for damages and blood money
• Federal Troops take over Skirmish areas after Ejecting and banishing the Liyuu police barracks in Jigjiga.
By: Yusuf M Hasan
HARGEISA (Somalilandsun) – Concerted efforts are underway to repair security damages incurred through reckless Liyuu police activities.
Tripartite negotiations are underway in the Ethiopian town of Harta Sheikh geared towards cooling flaring tempers among residents of Harshin District where Liyuu police massacred residents.
The tripartite talks which involve the Ethiopian Federal Government, The Ethiopian Somali Zone five administration and Elders of the Harshin residents who are of Somaliland origin are a means to final conclusion to the never ending aggression meted upon residents by the Liyuu police military force commanded from Jigjiga town.
In recent unprovoked attacks against over 30 people were injured while another twenty were killed by use of heavy ordnance after the Liyuu police run amok in Harshin town
The paramilitary force, which is under the control of Ethiopia’s Zone five Somali region president, started its massacred of Harshin Civilians by killing four people and arresting a yet established number, whose whereabouts is still mysterious.
Following the wanton killings and arrests residents armed themselves and managed to evict the Liyuu police killer unit from their town.
Early last Tuesday a column of ten armored vehicles entered the town and the heavily armed paramilitary soldiers started spraying machine gun bullets injuring 28 and killing another 13 civilians most of them women and young children. Another 23 were arrested and send to detention in Jigjiga by the Liyuu police.
Reports from Jigjiga town indicate that the zone five administrations has released 19 of the detainees as a gesture of good faith for the Harta Sheikh talks, though the whereabouts of the remaining four detainees remains unknown.
Leading delegations to the talks is the Governor of Hererge region who is Representing the Ethiopian Federal Government while the Zone five is represented by President Ilay and local residents by Sultan Hasan Sultan Abdilahi
Once the ground rules are established, the talks will shift to the areas where the Liyuu police committed their heinous crimes. This shift is related to the negotiators aim of assuaging the bereaved residents and reconciles them
During a mid-week meeting with Harshin Traditional, leaders in Jigjiga town the zone five presidents Abdi Omar Ilay who took full responsibility for the heinous actions the Liyuu police promised to pay all damages incurred during the Harshin attacks.
It is not yet clear whether president Ilay’s damage payment promise includes customary blood money for those killed. In Somali traditions, the clan/family of a killed man is compensated with 100 camels and 50 camels for a woman.
The immediate reconciliations, which are unprecedented, are as a direct presence of federal troops said to have been dispatched by Addis Ababa, these troops are currently in control of all areas involved in the skirmishes after having ejected and subsequently banished the Liyuu police to barracks in Jigjiga town pending internal investigations.
Most Area residents who praise the federal troops for their discipline and humane treatment of civilians are back in their homes from hiding areas since the banishment of their tormenters from the Liyuu police unit.
Earlir this year he Liyuu police perpetrated similar atrocities in Gashamo area of the same zone five where they have been acting in impunity until the intervention of Addis Ababa where sentiments are said to be weighing against both the paramilitary unit and its commanders who are the bosses of the zone five.
