Somaliland suspends talks with Somalia amid renewed tensions

MOGADISHU, Somalia

Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland announced Wednesday that it has suspended talks with Somalia, citing a recent visit by Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre to the city of Las Anod, the administrative capital of the Sool region, which is currently controlled by Khaatumo state forces aligned with Somalia.

A statement issued by the breakaway region’s information ministry after its Cabinet meeting in Hargeisa said that Somalia has “unambiguously” abandoned the path of peaceful coexistence and dialogue.

It said that Barre’s recent visit to Las Anod was a “calculated provocation” and a direct violation to its territory.

“The Council of Ministers has resolved to formally withdraw from all ongoing dialogue with Somalia, effective April 16, 2025,” the statement said.

The Somali government officially recognized SSC-Khaatumo as a federal member state Tuesday after the prime minister’s historic visit to Las Anod.

“We assert that the territories governed by the SSC-Khaatumo administration are integral to Somalia and should not be referred to as disputed areas,” Somalia said.

Las Anod, a city in the northern region of Sool, located 933 kilometers (579 miles) from the capital Mogadishu, has long been a flashpoint between unionist forces aligned with SSC-Khaatumo and separatist Somaliland forces.

The region saw months of intense fighting in 2023 which left hundreds dead or wounded.

A former British protectorate, Somaliland gained its independence in 1960 but days later joined Somalia.

In 1991, it declared independence from the rest of the country following a war with the military regime but has received no international recognition.