Somaliland denies release of Las Anod prisoners following Burao protests

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Thursday May 15, 2025

FILE - Somaliland Interior Minister Abdalle Mohamed Arab (Sandheere) is seen during a government meeting in Hargeisa, Somaliland.

Hargeisa (HOL) — Somaliland’s government has denied reports that it intends to release prisoners captured during last year’s fighting in Las Anod, following public protests and a wave of speculation online.

Interior Minister Abdalle Mohamed Arab, also known as Sandheere, said on Thursday that the upcoming May 18 amnesty will apply only to inmates convicted of minor offences and not to those involved in the conflict between Somaliland forces and SSC-Khaatumo militias.

“These reports are baseless. The people being pardoned are not those who participated in the war,” Sandheere told reporters. “There are individuals inciting unrest based on misinformation, and we are taking that seriously.”

Demonstrators in the city of Burao took to the streets Thursday morning, angered by what they believed was a planned release of combatants. Many demanded that no prisoners from the Las Anod conflict be freed unless Somaliland secures the release of its citizens, allegedly detained by opposition forces in the contested city.

Sandheere warned that false claims spreading on social media were designed to create division. He directed security forces to take action against anyone found spreading “groundless rumours.”

“To those sowing discord, security agencies will take clear and firm measures,” he said.

The May 18 holiday marks Somaliland’s self-declared independence from Somalia in 1991 and is often accompanied by presidential pardons. However, the conflict in Las Anod, which broke out in early 2023 and displaced tens of thousands, remains a politically sensitive issue. Both sides have accused each other of unlawful detentions.

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