Sunday August 3, 2025
Las Anod (HOL) – The interim leader of the newly declared
Northeastern Somali Regional State, Abdiqadir Aw Ali Firdhiye, has called on
Somaliland to embrace peace, stating that conflict cannot yield meaningful
outcomes.
He emphasized that Somaliland's push for independence poses
a challenge to Somali unity and urged against efforts to divide the country.
"It is a responsibility that God has placed on us. We
are being watched from all corners because our administration is located in a
very important area. If separation is not desired by the people, no one can
divide the nation," Firdhiye said.
He noted that the formation of the Northeastern
administration resulted from the will of the people and stands for peace,
development, and Somali unity.
"To our brothers who are rising in opposition, I say
this: peace is a universal desire. We have experienced war and conflict before.
What you seek through confrontation is not sustainable," Firdhiye said in
response to the Somaliland Council of Ministers' rejection of the new
administration.
Somaliland’s self-declared government has strongly opposed
the formation of the Northeastern Somali Regional State administration in Las
Anod, labeling the move illegal and asserting that the regions involved are an
integral part of Somaliland's territory.
In an extraordinary meeting held Saturday, the Somaliland
Cabinet issued a firm statement rejecting the newly formed administration,
reaffirming that the regions of Sool, Sanaag, and Togdheer belong to
Somaliland, referencing the borders established at its 1960 independence from
the British Empire.
Meanwhile, Puntland has also denounced the creation of the
Northeastern Somali Regional State, which was officially declared last week in
Las Anod and claims authority over the Sool, Sanaag, and Buuhoodle regions.