HARGEISA (Somaliguardian) – In a conciliatory gesture aimed at easing mounting tensions in the contested Sool region, Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro on Monday reaffirmed the region’s place within Somaliland’s borders and called on residents of Lasanod and its environs to strengthen their ties with Hargeisa, rather than Mogadishu.
“Eastern Sool residents are Somalilanders,” President Irro said during a speech in the port city of Berbera. “To the people of Lasanod and those living there: Hargeisa is closer to you than Mogadishu. You share everything with Hargeisa.”
The remarks come amid renewed friction following the recent declaration of a new autonomous entity – the Northeastern state of Somalia – formed by Dhulbahante and Warsangeli clan leaders in eastern Sool and Sanaag regions. The formation of the new state, backed by Somalia’s federal government in Mogadishu, has sparked concern in both Somaliland and neighboring Puntland, each of which claims Sool and Sanaag regions as integral parts of its respective territory.
While reaffirming Somaliland’s commitment to dialogue and peace, President Irro also underscored the government’s resolve to maintain the territorial integrity of the self-declared republic.
“God willing, at the right time, Somaliland will protect its peace and its entire border,” he said.
The emergence of the Northeastern state of Somalia has deepened a decades-long dispute over the resource-rich and strategically significant regions of Sool and Sanaag. Analysts warn that the new development could further destabilize the region, where clashes between Somaliland forces and local militias have persisted for years.
Both Somaliland and Puntland have issued formal protests against the creation of the new state, viewing it as a provocation that could undermine fragile stability in northern Somalia
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