Las Anod (Caasimada Online) — The Federal Government of Somalia is reportedly backing Abdulqadir Ahmed Ali Firdhiye to lead the new regional administration of SSC-Khatumo, according to reports from a recent political conference in Las Anod.

This conference aims to create a regional government representing Sool, Sanaag, and Cayn (SSC) areas — a region contested by the Federal Government, Puntland, and the self-declared Republic of Somaliland. Former Puntland Parliament Speaker Abdirashid Jibril, who hails from Sanaag, is reportedly the federal government’s preferred candidate for vice president under Firdhiye’s leadership.

Sources close to the conference reveal that Jibril arrived in Las Anod with a delegation representing the Sanaag and Haylaan districts. 

Questions around delegate selection

Observers suggest that the Federal Government, operating from Mogadishu’s Villa Somalia, influenced the selection of delegates to favor Firdhiye and Jibril, sidelining other candidates and limiting genuine political competition.

According to sources speaking to Caasimada Online, Ambassador Jamaal Hassan — a Haylaan native with presidential ambitions for the Khatumo administration — is likely to withdraw after being excluded from the delegate selection. Hassan reportedly represents a political vision that differs from that of the federal-backed candidates and does not enjoy majority support in the Sool and Cayn communities.

The Khatumo State movement emerged as a response to ongoing territorial disputes between Puntland and Somaliland over the SSC regions. Puntland, which governs northeastern Somalia, claims parts of Sool and Sanaag based on clan ties, while Somaliland asserts its authority based on colonial-era borders from the former British Somaliland protectorate.

Las Anod, the capital of the Sool region, has long been a hotspot for clashes between Somaliland forces and local clans. In 2023, Somaliland troops withdrew from the city after violent confrontations with local militias, creating SSC-Khatumo administration, supported by the federal government.

These developments have sparked strong reactions across the region.

Puntland’s government, which has historically administered the Sool region has strongly condemned the ongoing process in Las Anod, accusing the Federal Government of unconstitutional interference and violating Somalia’s provisional constitution by unilaterally intervening in the creation of a Federal Member State.

Meanwhile, Somaliland — which claims the entire SSC territory — has outright rejected the Las Anod conference and any administration aligned with Mogadishu. It views the conference as an illegal move to undermine its territorial integrity, labeling it a secessionist scheme orchestrated by federal authorities.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is reportedly viewing the formation of the Khatumo administration and the appointment of its leaders as strategic steps to strengthen federal influence ahead of Somalia’s contentious electoral process.