Saturday May 6, 2023
Las Anod (HOL) - A military commander from Somaliland, accompanied by an undisclosed number of defected military personnel, joined forces with the SCC-Khatumo troops in the Sool region this past Friday.
Abdi Madobe, a commander of the SCC-Khatumo forces, expressed gratitude to the defected commander and his troops for their collaboration with local forces.
Madobe clarified that the Somaliland army controlled the Arowayn area on one side, while the SCC forces held the other side. However, with Colonel Mohamed Deeq's support, who defected after growing sympathetic to the plight of his clan and region, the two forces were unified into a single army. Madobe stated that both armies would collaborate to combat the Somaliland military, intending to attack the city of Ayinaba.
The commander stressed that efforts to end the fighting would only succeed when the Somaliland army withdrew from the region. In the meantime, Somaliland has also showcased captured SCC forces.
Last week, Garad Jama Garad Ali, the Dhulbahante clan's traditional chief (Garad) and leader of the 33-member SSC traditional council, urged Somaliland to pull out from the contested Sool, Sanaag, and Cayn (SSC) regions to avert further conflicts and prevent hostilities from escalating.
Tensions have increased in Las Anod due to territorial disputes and political disagreements between Somaliland and the SSC-Khatumo militia. Since the SCC declared on February 5 that they would no longer recognize the Somaliland Administration, heavy fighting has continued.