London January 19, 2023 (SD) – The United Kingdom’s State Minister for International Development and Africa, Andrew Mitchell, has stated that the UK recognizes the importance of stability and security in Somaliland and the region as a whole.

In response to a question in the UK parliament yesterday regarding the situation in Laascaanood.

Mitchell said that the UK continues to work closely with international partners, the UN, and the government of Somaliland to support efforts to stabilize the situation.

He said, “We will continue to closely monitor the situation and encourage all parties to de-escalate the situation and avoid further violence, and resolve the issue peacefully.

“The UK government funds and trains many of the unrecognized enclave’s security forces but is yet to pressure Hargeisa on human rights violations.

In related news, the Speaker of the Somaliland House of Representatives, Abdirizaq Khalif Ahmed, today reached Laascaanood, the capital of the Sool region.

He reportedly started meeting with government officials, military commanders, and various members of the Sool community.

The visit of the Speaker comes after a recent meeting in Hargeisa with the outgoing President, Muse Biixi Cabdi.

The Speaker had previously criticized the way the government and the outgoing President had handled the overall situation in the Sool region.