Tuesday April 15, 2025
Las Anod (HOL) — Twenty-five prisoners captured during last year’s fighting between Somaliland and SSC-Khaatumo forces have been handed over to the Somali federal government during a landmark visit by Prime Minister Hamse Abdi Barre to Las Anod—a gesture framed as part of a wider push for reconciliation in the conflict-scarred Sool region.
The detainees, who were taken during months of intense combat that saw SSC-Khaatumo retake Las Anod from Somaliland in early 2023, were formally transferred in the presence of federal officials. The handover, described as a “goodwill measure,” comes as Somalia attempts to consolidate federal authority in a region long contested by rival administrations.
“In consultation with local councils, the SSC-Khaatumo administration has transferred 25 prisoners—some detained in connection to last year’s war, others under humanitarian considerations—to the Federal Government,” the administration said in a statement. “The government will facilitate their safe return to their families.”
While the identities and conditions of the detainees were not disclosed, officials confirmed they were captured amid some of the fiercest fighting witnessed in northern Somalia in recent years. Observers say both SSC-Khaatumo and Somaliland continue to hold additional prisoners, though negotiations for broader exchanges remain unresolved.
Prime Minister Barre’s visit marks the first time in over 50 years that a sitting Somali premier has set foot in Las Anod. His trip signals a deeper federal push to assert authority over the territory—capped by a formal declaration recognizing SSC-Khaatumo as a federal member state. Barre also extended an invitation to SSC-Khaatumo leader Abdikhadir Ahmed Aw-Ali Firdhiye to attend the upcoming National Consultative Council (NCC) summit, slated for May 1–2 in Mogadishu, where Somalia’s shifting federal structure is expected to dominate the agenda.
The handover of detainees is widely viewed as a symbolic but strategic step toward easing hostilities. It also reinforces the federal government’s stance that SSC-Khaatumo’s territory falls squarely within its jurisdiction—despite Somaliland’s continued claims over the region. Mogadishu has urged federal agencies, humanitarian organizations, and international partners to operate freely in the area without hesitation.