Hargeysa April 03, 2023 (SD) – The outgoing President of Somaliland, Muse Bihi Abdi, has announced that he is ready for talks to resolve the conflict in Laascaanood.

In a speech at the presidential palace, he mentioned that if the traditional leaders want to unite with Somalia, they can sympathize but is the responsibility of the Federal Government of Somalia, which recently appointed a new envoy to the region.

The President also acknowledged that people in Sool region have been involved in the construction of Somaliland, but at the same time, he stated that the conflict in Las Anod has no justification and blamed politicians and elders from Sool for causing the clashes.

“As for me and the people of Somaliland, we are committed to resolving the Laascaanood issue peacefully and ensuring the restoration of peace. Both the government of Somaliland and its military will defend themselves against any attack, and we will never initiate a war. Our aim is not to harm any fellow Muslims, including those in our own community in Somaliland.”

The president complained to the federal government of Somalia about the Puntland administration, saying that the administration is fully involved in the war, and the federal government needs to do something about it.

The outgoing president, on the other hand, has expressed his willingness to negotiate with the Federal Government of Somalia and welcomed the appointment of Abdikarim Hussein Guled as the new envoy by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

The SSC traditional leaders have recently held a conference in Las Anod, calling for the integration of SSC regions into the Federal Government of Somalia, which is a major issue in the conflict in Las Anod.

The situation in Las Anod remains tense, as clashes between Somaliland government forces and SSC forces have resulted in casualties and displacement of people.