HARGEISA, Somaliland – Somaliland has issued a stark warning to Somalia’s Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre, threatening violence, including potential assassination, if he proceeds with a planned visit to Las Anod, the capital of the disputed Sool region.
The threats, voiced by several Somaliland lawmakers in Hargeisa on Monday, mark a significant escalation in the already fraught relationship between Somaliland and the federal government of Somalia over control of the Sool and Sanaag regions.
Somaliland, which unilaterally declared independence from Somalia in 1991 but lacks international recognition, considers Las Anod part of its territory.
It insists the Somali Prime Minister requires permission to visit the city, which currently serves as a stronghold for the pro-Somalia SSC-Khaatumo administration.
Threats of “Bullets” and downing of aircraft
Several parliamentarians addressed the media in Somaliland’s capital and delivered strongly worded statements. Adirahmaan Shaadh, a member of Somaliland’s upper house, the Guurti, vowed to obstruct Barre’s visit and threatened direct action.
“Don’t think Hamza can just come here. How can he come to Somaliland? Bullets come before him, and he will be shot down,” Shaadh declared.
Reinforcing this stance, Abdi Timajilic, a member of Somaliland’s lower house, the House of Representatives, stated that any aircraft carrying the Somali Prime Minister would be prevented from landing in Las Anod and would be targeted.
“If Hamza comes to Las Anod, Somaliland must make his plane burn in the sky. We have weapons and an army,” Timajilic asserted.
These threats follow earlier warnings from Somaliland officials. Ahmed Farah, the governor of the Sool region within the Somaliland administration, had previously cautioned Prime Minister Barre that he would “regret” visiting Las Anod, accusing him of instigating a “project of war” in the Sool and Sanaag regions.
The warnings from Hargeisa come a day after Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre affirmed his intention to visit Las Anod. He stated that his trip aimed to strengthen relations between the federal government and the SSC-Khaatumo administration and was not intended to pressure any specific entity.
The planned visit is also viewed as an effort by Mogadishu to demonstrate its support for the SSC-Khaatumo administration and foster development in the Sool and Sanaag regions, which have been a long-standing point of contention between Somaliland and Somalia.
Las Anod: Epicenter of territorial dispute
Las Anod lies at the heart of a territorial dispute between Somaliland and SSC-Khaatumo, a local administration seeking closer ties with the federal government in Mogadishu.
The city experienced intense clashes earlier last year between forces loyal to both sides, resulting in significant casualties and underscoring the deep-seated tensions in the region.
The Sool and Sanaag regions, located in northern Somalia, are claimed by both Somaliland and the semi-autonomous Puntland state.
The emergence of the SSC-Khaatumo administration, advocating for either the creation of a new federal member state within Somalia or direct rule from Mogadishu, has further complicated the intricate political landscape.
Somaliland’s explicit threats against the Prime Minister of Somalia are likely to provoke strong condemnation from the international community, which has consistently called for dialogue and a peaceful resolution to the territorial disputes in the Horn of Africa.
Prime Minister Barre’s planned visit and the forceful opposition from Somaliland highlight the precarious security situation in the region and the complex political dynamics at play.
