Tuesday June 6, 2023
Hargeisa (HOL) - The Somaliland government has filed a case against Abdirisaaq Khalif Ahmed, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, at the Supreme Court on Tuesday. The government accuses him of undermining the existence of the self-proclaimed Republic of Somaliland.
The Attorney General of the Somaliland government, Abdirahman Jamac Hayaan, who submitted the case to the court, emphasized the need to suspend Khalif's parliamentary membership. The government alleges that he opposes the existence of Somaliland and has been absent from 20 parliamentary sessions.
Several weeks ago, the Somaliland President dispatched Khalif to the disputed town of Las Anod to contribute to finding a solution to the prolonged conflict there. However, Khalif openly aligned himself with the traditional elders representing the people of the Sool, Sanaag, and Ayn regions, collectively known as SCC-Khatumo.
Furthermore, Speaker Abdirisaaq Khalif Ahmed accused the Somaliland army of bombing and destroying the town, alleging that President Bihi ignored his recommendations for resolving the conflict.
Despite these developments, Khalif has remained in his positions as a parliamentarian and as Speaker of the House of Representatives in Somaliland.
The situation in Las Anod has deteriorated since February 6th, with violent clashes escalating between the self-proclaimed state of Somaliland and local militias associated with the Dhulbahante clan in northern Somalia. Disturbingly, Las Anod's hospitals have reported a staggering death toll of 299, leaving 1,913 individuals injured and displacing over 200,000 since the commencement of the conflict.