SOMALIA: Puntland Presidential hopeful warns Farole over violence

SOMALIA: Puntland Presidential hopeful warns Farole over violence Puntland region presidential hopeful Abdirahman Mohamed Hassan has accused the sitting president Abdirahman Farole of carrying out massacre in Gardo. Speaking from the Egyptian capital, Mr. Hassan has voiced concern about the recent clashes between protesters and security forces in the pirate-infested semi-autonomous region. A flare-up of violence hit the third largest town in Bari province of Gardo on Friday after a Presidential convey led by Farole visited the region with heavy military. The demonstrators challenged Farole’s plans to postponed the regional elections slotted for the 9th of January 2013. The protesters waved signs reading “No Farole. No #5 years”, “We don’t want Farole.” Prior to his entry of the town, the convey were held outside for more than two hours by locals who blocked the roads with stones and burning tyres of tires. At least one lady, named as Fatima Ayah, was killed and more than four injured when Farole’s security forces opened fire on the protesters. The presidential candidate offered his condolences to the family and friends of Fatima and the injured. He warned Farole of destabilizing the relatively peaceful region. He described the incident as an atrocity similar to the ones committed by Saddam Hussein, Muammar al-Gaddafi and president al Assad. He said the people will not tolerate such aggression and cold killings and called for calm.