HARGEISA (SD) – Unidentified assailants, believed to be supporters of the ruling Kulmiye party, set fire to the front door of the residence of Waddani Khadar Hussein Abdi, secretary general of the Somaliland opposition party in Hargeisa.

The secretary-general posted a statement on his Facebook page, along with photos showing the damage to his home, caused by a car tire, set on fire outside the house last night.

Recently a government owned vehicle was rammed on the yard of the Waddani governor’s house in Goljano.

“A car tire was burnt at the door of my house in Hargeisa last night and the fire damaged the door. A similar incident has already taken place in the house of the party’s chairman, Hirsi Ali Haji Hassan,” said Khadar.

The secretary-general claimed that the fire was a politically motivated, is is used to send a threatening massage.

“it is a new security low in Somaliland, one that could indicate that there is a political strategy to threaten the security of the leaders of the opposition parties”. the secretary said.

Earlier, police officers exchanged fire with security guards at the home of Wadani party candidate Abdirahman Irro, leading the candidate to flee his home in Pepsi area, a stronghold of supporters of President Muse Bihi.

The secretary said he had reported the incident to police and was awaiting an investigation into the burning of a tire at the front gate of his home.

Somaliland is currently embroiled in a political and electoral crisis over the November presidential elections which led to to protests in Hargeisa, also leading to President Bihi’s government to arrest senior members of national parties and journalists at the rally.