Friday April 18, 2025
Mogadishu (HOL) — Heavy fighting broke out Thursday between Somaliland forces and SSC-Khaatumo troops in the Daanweyne area of the Sanaag region in the latest flare-up of conflict over a land dispute between the two sides.
In a statement released Thursday afternoon, the SSC-Khaatumo administration accused Somaliland of launching what it described as “a senseless and brutal attack” on nomadic civilians in the area.
“This brutal and aggressive act has resulted in the killing and wounding of many innocent pastoralists. It has endangered our people’s lives and undermined the fragile peace-building process facilitated by the Federal Government of Somalia,” the SSC-Khaatumo administration said.
While exact casualty figures remain unconfirmed, SSC-Khaatumo officials said the violence represented a serious violation of the region’s territorial sovereignty and called on the international community to investigate the incident urgently.
Somaliland officials have yet to comment publicly on the clashes, but images circulated on social media showed prisoners and military vehicles allegedly captured by Somaliland forces during the fighting.
Tensions have been steadily rising following Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre’s historic visit to Las Anod, the de facto capital of SSC-Khaatumo, last week. The visit marked the federal government’s formal recognition of SSC-Khaatumo as a federal member state—a move strongly opposed by Somaliland, which continues to claim sovereignty over the Sool, Sanaag, and Ayn regions.
Clashes between SSC-Khaatumo and Somaliland forces had erupted intermittently since early 2023 when local residents and traditional elders expelled Somaliland troops from Las Anod in a mass uprising.
