Somaliland Leader to Visit Sool Region a Week After Defeat of His Forces in Goja Adde
President of Somaliland Muse Bihi is set to visit the breakaway region’s army base in Sool region northwest of Somalia.
This visit comes after several weeks of intense fighting in Las Anod, the capital of the Sool region in northwest Somalia. These clashes led to the defeat of Somaliland forces in Las Anod by the SSC-Khatumo clan militia and the capture of their largest military installation, Gooja Adde.
Bihi will specifically visit the Oog area, where Somaliland troops were stationed in the Sool region. He is accompanied by ministers, parliamentarians, and military officials from the regions he is visiting.
Bihi vowed that his forces would seek revenge against SSC-Khatumo following their defeat.
“We should not be demoralized by the fighting, even though our forces have suffered losses,” Bihi stated during a press conference held in Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland.
During his visit, Bihi will hold crucial meetings with surviving soldiers and Somaliland army officials who braved the intense fighting in the Sool region.
The ongoing conflict in Las Anod between the Somaliland forces and SSC-Khatumo forces began on February 6, following a forceful crackdown by Somaliland security forces on civil protests. As a result, clan elders from the region declared their intention to secede from Somaliland and reunite with the Federal Government of Somalia.
SSC-Khatumo, an autonomous entity, has taken shape to champion the interests of the northwestern regions of Sool, Sanaag, and Ayn within Somalia. With its headquarters situated in Las Anod, SSC-Khatumo staunchly refutes Somaliland’s territorial claims, firmly identifying itself as an integral part of Somalia.
The international community has been urging restraint and dialogue since the fighting began, with the aim of finding a solution to the conflict that has resulted in the loss of hundreds of civilian lives and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of others. However, neither party appears to be genuinely committed to ending the conflict.
