Waddani Party holds rally despite Govt attempts to block it

Hargeisa (Somaliland.com) – The police in Somaliland have fired live bullets at the chairman of the Waddani party and his supporters, Abdirahman Abdillahi Irro. He was on his way to the party’s headquarters where he called his supporters for a rally yesterday….

The chairman was not harmed in the shooting. He daringly walked with a dozen of his supporters by his side the two hundred meter distance between the main road and his office. Later, he posted on Facebook a deviant message saying, bullets or tanks will not stop him from discharging his duties.

Abdirahman Irro in brief remarks said the police took over the party headquarters early in the morning and forcibly ejected all staff. He stressed the right of assembly that the constitution guarantees for all citizens. 

Greetings to the people of Somaliland wherever they are. Now I’m at the headquarters of the party, Unfortunately, today in the morning police took over our headquarters. All the staff was forced out of their offices. By the grace of God, we successfully managed to enter the premises. Though we could hear a lot of gunshots.

Abdirahman Irro

The government has blocked all streets leading to the party headquarters with stone barriers. Dozens of policemen were also deployed to bar supporters from gathering to hear the speeches of the opposition leaders. 

Hundreds of Waddani supporters waited patiently in the vicinity of the party headquarters which they were prevented from nearing it. They chanted in support of the leader of their party and in denunciation of the government. 

Abdirahman Irro then came to his supporters who were barred from coming to him. Euphoria took over the despondent crowd.

The chairman of Waddani party Abdirahman Irro called for the rally at his party headquarters yesterday following a political deadlock over the electoral commission. The government responded immediately with several officials all denouncing the call for popular gathering. 

Today he called for a nation-wide rally at the party offices all over the country. 

I would like to tell all the regional party leaders to spearhead the demonstrations in the remaining five regions of the country.

It’s our right to assemble, we will come here every day, We will be here tomorrow as well. All our regional offices will also congregate

Abdirahman Irro

Abdillahi Hassan