Nearly 50 Staff Members of Consilient Research Centre Detained in Somaliland
Hargeisa – For the past two nights, public discourse has been dominated by talk of an event titled, ‘Understanding Federalism, Constitutional Review, and Elections in Somalia,’ which was being organized by the Hargeisa-based Consilient Research group.
Reports now confirm that Somaliland’s security forces have detained several individuals involved in organizing the forum. Those arrested are said to include both Somalis and foreign nationals.
The organization, whose website shows it undertakes numerous projects, including some linked to the Somalia Stability Fund, had circulated an invitation for this three-night forum on Somali elections, scheduled to be held in Hargeisa. The plan sparked a strong public backlash, which was particularly visible on social media, with many Somalilander youth accusing the government of allowing a reopening of political dialogue between Somaliland and Somalia.
In response to this public pressure, the police appear to have taken this preemptive step to halt the forum.
It remains unclear who was behind the initiative to host a program concerning Somalia’s constitution and elections in Hargeisa, where political matters pertaining to Somalia are not permitted. Somaliland declared its independence from Somalia in 1991, and the Consilient Research group remains in custody.
Neither the security forces nor the government have yet made any official statement regarding the planned forum or the reported police action.
