El Afweyn

History

During the Isaaq genocide El Afweyn and its surrounding territory saw over 300 people be killed in October 1988 in revenge for the death of an army officer who was killed by a landmine laid by the rebel Somali National Movement (or the SNM for short). The town was also bombed by the Somali Air Force. Oxfam Australia (formerly known as Community Aid Abroad) described the situation in El Afweyn as follows:It is known that many people have fled from the town of Elafweyn following bombing attacks by the government forces. A "scorched earth" policy applied to the villages in the Elafweyn plains. These displaced people are hiding in the bush without adequate access to food and medical supplies. In July 2000, El Afweyn was reported to be the most severely affected by flooding in the Sanaag region. Jama Ali Jama, who had temporarily assumed the presidency after expelling then Puntland president Abdullahi Yusuf from the capital Garowe in 2002, retreated to El Afwein after a heavy defeat in Dhuudo, Puntland in December 2002. The militia remained stationed in El Afwein, a town outside of Puntland's claimed jurisdiction, until early 2003 when both sides reconciled. Parts of the militia surrendered to Puntland forces in March 2003, with the militia itself withdrawing to Bosaso on April the same year. Around 2010, security was stable, and the leader of the opposition Kulmiye Peace, Unity, and Development Party reportedly gave an election speech. In 2012, the Somaliland government dug a 350-meter well, fully funded by the central government, to provide safe drinking water to more than 1,000 households. El Afweyn has been the site of a prolonged conflict that started in 2015 over grazing land, scarce water resources, and disputes over political power and influence between two…