Hargaysa (Caasimada Online) – In a rare and closely watched visit, a senior advisor to Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni has arrived in Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland, for a three-day diplomatic mission aimed at easing tensions and building cooperation between the two rival administrations.
The advisor, whose identity has not been made public, is holding behind-the-scenes talks with Somaliland’s President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro.
According to sources who spoke to Caasimada Online, the discussions are centered on advancing a peace agreement for the disputed city of Erigavo and strengthening a shared opposition to the self-declared SSC-Khatumo administration.
President Deni is said to have personally tasked the envoy with exploring ways to lower tensions in Erigavo, a flashpoint in the contested Sanaag region. The trip follows Somaliland’s recent announcement expressing readiness to host peace talks aimed at resolving the long-running dispute.
Joint front against SSC-Khatumo
A key part of the talks is the common position both Puntland and Somaliland have taken against SSC-Khatumo’s bid for federal state recognition. Despite their historic rivalries, the two administrations are now quietly coordinating efforts to block the group’s legitimacy—arguing that SSC-Khatumo threatens their respective territorial claims and undermines regional stability.
For Puntland, the Dhulbahante clan—largely aligned with SSC-Khatumo—has been considered part of its governance structure since the state’s founding in 1998. Somaliland, on the other hand, claims the Sool, Sanaag, and Cayn regions based on borders established during the colonial era, before Somalia’s independence in 1960.
The Federal Government’s recognition of SSC-Khatumo as an interim administration has added fuel to the fire, drawing sharp criticism from both Garowe and Hargeisa.
This week’s Hargeisa visit builds on a discreet but significant meeting held last month in Nairobi, where Presidents Deni and Irro met face-to-face. According to sources, the two leaders agreed to de-escalate tensions in Erigavo and to begin laying the groundwork for a broader security partnership.
One of the key outcomes of that meeting was a decision to jointly coordinate a new military campaign—code-named “Onkod” (“Thunder”)—which Puntland will lead. The operation is aimed at flushing out Al-Shabaab militants entrenched in the remote Calmadow Mountains, which stretch across parts of Bari and Sanaag.
Persistent clashes in Sanaag
Erigavo, the administrative heart of the Sanaag region, has long been at the center of a bitter territorial dispute between Puntland and Somaliland. Clashes between Somaliland forces and SSC-Khatumo-aligned fighters have erupted periodically, leading to waves of violence and mass displacement.
In December 2024, heavy fighting in Erigavo drove an estimated 43,000 civilians from their homes and solidified Somaliland’s hold on the town. The following month, on January 11, Somaliland forces advanced further east, seizing control of Jiidali in another move to consolidate their position in the region.
Tensions flared again on July 15 in the town of Dhahar, where Puntland troops attempting to remove newly erected checkpoints clashed with local militias believed to be loyal to SSC-Khatumo. At least four Puntland soldiers were killed and ten others wounded, according to preliminary reports.
The federal government in Mogadishu, which continues to support SSC-Khatumo’s interim status, responded by urging Puntland to withdraw its forces from Dhahar. It warned that their presence risked worsening local tensions rather than helping to combat Al-Shabaab.
The violence in Dhahar has added to the already fragile security environment in northern Somalia. It also coincided with a parallel political conference in Las Anod, where SSC-Khatumo supporters were reportedly discussing the group’s path toward full recognition as a federal state.
Eyes on the Calmadow campaign
As the political wrangling continues, Puntland is preparing to shift its military focus toward the Calmadow Mountains. This rugged and largely ungoverned area has long served as a sanctuary for Al-Shabaab fighters. Operation Onkod is expected to target these hideouts in an effort to disrupt the group’s operations across the northeast.
Although Somaliland has not formally committed to the offensive, officials in Hargeisa are reportedly open to technical and intelligence cooperation—a potentially significant development in the historically tense relationship between the two regions.
This renewed diplomatic engagement between Puntland and Somaliland—once bitter political and military adversaries—may mark the beginning of a cautious but meaningful shift. If the cooperation holds, it could pave the way not only for greater stability in Sanaag and its neighboring areas but also for progress in Somalia’s broader federal-state building efforts.