Friday April 11, 2025
Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre is expected to make a historic visit to Las Anod, marking the first trip by a sitting Somali leader to the city in over 50 years. The visit signals renewed federal engagement following the formation of the SSC Khaatumo interim administration.
Mogadishu (HOL) — Somaliland has threatened to take firm retaliatory action if Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre proceeds with a planned visit to Las Anod, escalating a long-simmering territorial dispute over the city.
In a Friday statement, Somaliland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the planned visit as a “blatant violation” of its sovereignty. It warned that Somalia’s federal government would bear full responsibility for any future unrest or violence.
“Somaliland sees this visit as a provocation that could ignite fresh conflict,” the statement read. “The government of Somalia will be held accountable for any tensions that arise.”
The warning comes as Somali federal officials, including Interior Minister Ali Yusuf Ali Xoosh, arrived in Las Anod on Friday before the Prime Minister’s expected arrival. Barre is slated to inaugurate federally funded development projects and reinforce the government’s backing of the SSC-Khaatumo administration, which has aligned itself with Mogadishu since expelling Somaliland forces in early 2023.
Somali federal troops, including elite commandos, have begun arriving in Las Anod ahead of the Prime Minister’s expected trip. Somali authorities have not confirmed the exact visit date.
The visit would be the first by a sitting Somali prime minister to Las Anod in over five decades, marking a significant symbolic shift in federal engagement with a region long outside its direct control. Posters of Prime Minister Barre have already been plastered along the city’s main roads, and SSC-Khaatumo officials have described the moment as “historic,” signalling renewed federal visibility in a territory it officially recognized in October 2023 as an interim administration.
The SSC-Khaatumo administration, which administers Las Anod and aligns itself with the federal government in Mogadishu, pushed back against Somaliland’s threats. The group declared it had complete control of the city and would ensure the Prime Minister’s safety.
“We have full authority in Las Anod and the capacity to guarantee the Prime Minister’s security,” an SSC spokesperson said.
The planned trip has also drawn condemnation from Somaliland’s Parliament, which convened earlier this week to address what it described as an unacceptable infringement on Somaliland’s sovereignty. Somaliland’s Minister of Information, Ahmed Yasin Sheikh Ali Ayanle, echoed the warning during a press conference in Hargeisa on Tuesday, accusing the federal government of using the visit to “export Somalia’s internal crises into Somaliland.”
Las Anod, capital of the Sool region, has for years been at the heart of a violent territorial dispute between Somaliland, Puntland, and, more recently, SSC-Khaatumo—a grassroots administration formed by local elders who rejected the authority of both Hargeisa and Garowe. The city had remained volatile since the outbreak of conflict in early 2023 when mass protests erupted following the killing of a local official. The unrest escalated into months of clashes, leaving more than 300 people dead and displacing over 150,000 before Somaliland troops withdrew.
Since then, SSC-Khaatumo has consolidated control of the region and has sought federal member-state recognition. Federal authorities have responded by expanding institutional services in Las Anod, including opening a branch of the Immigration and Citizenship Agency in August 2024—an act that SSC-Khaatumo leaders hailed as proof of the government’s commitment to their cause.
“The government will stand with the people of SSC and work toward lasting development and governance,” Interior Minister Xoosh said during his arrival.
In Friday’s statement, Somaliland also urged the African Union, IGAD, the United Nations, and the Arab League to intervene, accusing Somalia of “irresponsible behaviour” that could derail ongoing regional peace efforts.
“While Somaliland is committed to dialogue and regional cooperation, it will take decisive measures to safeguard its sovereignty,” the statement added.
No official date has been confirmed for the Prime Minister’s arrival, but security deployments and political activity in Las Anod suggest it is imminent.