Saturday November 1, 2025
Las Anod (HOL) — The newly formed Northeastern regional
state has accused Puntland authorities of launching an attack on Boocame
district in the Sool region, escalating tensions between the two
administrations.
In a statement released Friday, the Northeastern
administration said that fighting broke out in Boocame on Friday afternoon,
resulting in injuries. The statement accused forces operating under the command
of the Puntland presidency of carrying out the assault.
Boocame District Commissioner Mahdi Rashaad alleged that the
attack was intended “to create insecurity and chaos” in the town.
Puntland authorities have not yet issued a response to the
allegations.
Boocame, located about 70 kilometers east of Garowe, has
become a flashpoint in the growing dispute between Puntland and the newly
formed Northeastern regional state.
Puntland Vice President Ilyas Lugatoor, who hails from
Boocame, has repeatedly asserted that the town remains part of Puntland, while
the Northeastern administration claims it falls under its jurisdiction.
The district has also been a site of political contention.
Puntland previously blocked efforts to register voters in Boocame during the
one-person, one-vote elections organized by the Federal Government of Somalia
in the Northeastern regions.
The latest confrontation underscores the fragile security
and political divisions emerging in northern Somalia as rival administrations
vie for territorial and political control.