Somalia: Somaliland Condemns Somali PM's Visit to Las Anod, Warns of Rising Tensions

What the report says

Somaliland has condemned a visit by Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre to Las Anod, saying the trip could worsen political and security tensions in the disputed area. The statement was issued from Hargeisa and was reported by Shabelle through AllAfrica. Somaliland said it views the visit as a challenge to what it considers its territorial sovereignty and warned that such moves could undermine efforts to maintain peace and stability.

According to the report, the Somaliland administration argued that the prime minister’s presence in Las Anod would not help calm the situation and could instead deepen already existing tensions. It urged the African Union, IGAD, the United Nations and other international partners to discourage actions it described as provocative and to press Somalia’s federal government to avoid steps that might escalate the dispute.

The article said Somaliland also reaffirmed its stated commitment to peace, stability and coexistence while saying it would take measures it considers necessary to protect its security and territory. Las Anod has been at the center of a long-running territorial dispute between Somaliland and authorities aligned with Somalia’s federal government, making high-level visits there especially sensitive. The report does not describe any immediate response from Somalia’s federal government.