Two British teachers shot dead in Somaliland

Two British nationals working for an NGO in the self-declared republic of Somaliland were shot dead on Monday night by unidentified gunmen.

The two bodies were found in their home on Tuesday morning, said Evelyn Winkler, project coordinator with SOS Kinderdorf International, which employed them. The house was located in the same compound as the Sheikh secondary school where they were working, in a town of the same name about 70 km from the port of Berbera.

An investigation into the shootings had started on Tuesday, said Winkler, which was being supported by the president of Somaliland, Dahir Riale Kahin. The house had been sealed and the school, which opened in January 2003, was closed.

Whether the couple was targeted, and what the motive was remained unclear, she said. "We cannot think of a motive right now. They were very well integrated into the community." She said she was unaware of any threats made to the couple or any antagonistic behaviour towards them from the local community.

The secondary school where the couple worked as a school principal and a teacher also housed about 100 pupils.

Just two weeks ago, a veteran aid worker in Somalia, Dr Annalena Tonelli, was also shot dead in Somaliland by unknown attackers. In June, Dr Tonelli won the UN refugee agency's highest honour, the Nansen Refugee Award, for her 33 years of work with Somalis. She started working with Somali refugees in Kenya and moved to Somalia in 1986.