Friday July 26, 2024
FILE - Prisoners of war from the Las Anod conflict, held in Burao prison in May 2023, say they have been treated well by their captors. They were among those captured during battles between Somaliland forces and SSC-Khaatumo fighters.
Hargeisa (HOL) — The Somaliland government has announced its readiness to negotiate the fate of prisoners captured during the Las Anod conflict. The talks come nearly a year after the guns fell silent between the Somaliland National Army and the SSC-Khaatumo forces of the Dhulbahante in Las Anod, the capital of the Sool region.
Fighting began on February 6, 2023, after Somaliland security forces violently cracked down on civil protests. The conflict escalated when the supreme Garad of Dhulbahante, Garad Jama Garad Ali, declared an intent to secede and reunite with the Federal Government of Somalia. Under President Muse Bihi, the Somaliland Army launched a prolonged military operation to subdue Las Anod through artillery bombardment. However, by August 2023, the army was forced to retreat from the city.
Several prominent figures from both sides are believed to be imprisoned. Among them is Somaliland's Commander Botaan, who led the 12th Battalion stationed in the Maragga area east of Las Anod. SSC fighters captured Botaan in August 2023.
The conflict has resulted in over 300 deaths and displaced between 153,000 and 203,000 people. Citizens fled externally to Buuhodle and the Ethiopian border, and internally to SSC-Khaatumo territories such as Taleh, Hudun, Buuhodle, or Puntland cities like Garowe, Galkacyo, and Burtinle. An Amnesty International report documented indiscriminate shelling by Somaliland security forces, which damaged schools, mosques, and hospitals and caused civilian casualties.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) conducted its first visit to over 300 detainees in Las Anod in late August 2023, ensuring they were treated humanely and their families were informed of their whereabouts. In addition, the ICRC facilitated the transfer of four wounded prisoners to Qaran Hospital in Garowe for specialized treatment and the release of two detainees from Las Anod to Hargeisa in a humanitarian operation.
Senior UN officials have also called for a prisoner swap.
Mohamed Kahin Ahmed, Somaliland’s Minister of Interior, told BBC Somali that his government is prepared for peaceful, unconditional discussions regarding the prisoners. “The Somaliland government is in a good position regarding these prisoners and is always ready for peaceful, unconditional discussions on this matter,” Kahin said.While negotiations between the parties have started, significant progress is still needed. Ahmed noted that specifying when a resolution might be reached is currently impossible.
Somaliland declared independence in 1991 within the borders of the former British Somaliland. The Dhulbahante clan, primarily from the Sool, Sanaag, and Buuhoodle regions, opposed the secession and boycotted the Somaliland elections in protest. In 2003, the unionist Puntland state took control of Las Anod.
The Somaliland army seized control of the city from Puntland forces in 2007, and the city has since experienced significant unrest and violence.On June 7, 2023, the UN Security Council called for the immediate withdrawal of Somaliland security forces. The conflict has drawn international attention, with various organizations urging for a peaceful resolution and respect for human rights.
Somaliland's Commander Nuh Ismail Tani has vowed to retake the contested Sool region as recently as mid-May.