Somaliland government has issued a stern warning against Somali Prime Minister Hamsa Abdi Barre’s anticipated visit to Las Anod, the capital of the SSC-Khatumo administration, a territory Somaliland claims as part of its borders.
Somaliland’s Minister of Information, Ahmed Yasin Sheikh Ali Ayanle, accused the Somali federal government of deliberately stoking tensions in the disputed region, calling the Prime Minister’s planned trip a provocation to export Somalia’s internal crises into Somaliland.
“Whatever it takes, we are determined to defend our nationhood and our borders,” Minister Ayanle declared during a press conference on Tuesday. “The search for peace is not a weakness for us. We are determined to confront the tribulation you are creating with strength and strategy.”
The minister also dismissed as “impossible” the federal government’s plan to conduct one-person, one-vote elections in Sool, Sanaag, and Buuhoodle, arguing that elections can only be held in peaceful and secure regions.
Ayanle criticized Prime Minister Barre for what he described as political overreach, suggesting that the Prime Minister has avoided visiting other federal member states like Puntland and Jubbaland.
“Instead of resolving those issues, he is trying to ignite a new crisis in Sool,” Ayanle said.
Prime Minister Barre, meanwhile, has insisted that the trip is part of a broader effort to promote national unity and support the newly formed SSC-Khaatumo administration, which has declared its intention to function as a federal member state under Mogadishu’s authority.
Barre emphasized that his visit is not intended to antagonize any party, but rather to “bring Somali communities closer together.”
Somaliland lost control of Las Anod in early 2023 following a popular uprising against its rule. Since then, the SSC-Khaatumo administration has taken control of the region and aligned itself with the federal government in Mogadishu.
