SSC-Khaatumo statehood conference opens in Las Anod

[Deeq A.]

LAS ANOD, Somalia – A landmark conference to finalize the creation of a new federal member state in northern Somalia’s contentious Sool, Sanaag, and Cayn (SSC) regions officially opened in the strategic city of Las Anod on Saturday, with strong endorsement from the federal government in Mogadishu.

The assembly brings together politicians, intellectuals, and traditional elders to formalize the SSC-Khaatumo administration, a move that could significantly alter the political landscape of the Horn of Africa and further challenge Somaliland’s three-decade bid for independence.

Somalia’s Minister of Interior, Federal Affairs, and Reconciliation, Ali Yusuf Ali Hosh, inaugurated the conference, vowing that the central government would act as a guarantor for the establishment of a fully-fledged state based on the will of the local population.

“The Federal Government of Somalia believes that a solution for peace and development in the SSC regions can only be achieved by having a complete regional state that is fully part of the federal system,” said Minister Hosh. He commended the people of the region for “taking charge of their destiny.”

The conference aims to establish a constitution and a formal governance structure for SSC-Khaatumo, which seeks to be administered directly by Mogadishu, thereby bypassing the rival claims of neighboring entities, including Puntland and Somaliland.

The gathering in Las Anod marks a pivotal moment for the region, which has been a flashpoint for decades. The city, the historical capital of the Sool region, was the epicenter of a brutal, months-long conflict that began in early 2023.

Fierce fighting erupted after local Sool clan clan elders declared their intention to secede from Somaliland and form their administration under the Somali federal umbrella.

The conflict saw Somaliland forces, which had controlled the city for over 15 years, driven out in August 2023 by local militias loyal to the newly formed SSC-Khaatumo authority. The fighting displaced hundreds of thousands of people and caused significant casualties.

The Federal Government of Somalia officially recognized SSC-Khaatumo as an interim administration in October 2023, paving the way for the current statehood conference.

The path to Saturday’s opening has not been smooth, with the conference being postponed several times amid delicate political negotiations. A key and sensitive point of discussion for the delegates will be deciding on a permanent name for the new federal state.

According to Caasimada Online sources, opposition politicians who had previously objected to the process now appear to have been brought on board to ensure the conference’s success. The plan is to finalize the administrative structure first before moving on to local elections.

The establishment of SSC-Khaatumo as a federal member state directly challenges the territorial claims of Somaliland, which declared independence from Somalia in 1991. Somaliland claims the SSC regions are based on the colonial-era borders of the former British Somaliland protectorate. Its claim, however, is not internationally recognized.

The neighboring semi-autonomous state of Puntland also claims the territory, citing strong kinship ties with the local Sool clan clan, a sub-clan of the Darod, which is dominant in Puntland. The dispute between Somaliland and Puntland has led to intermittent clashes for over two decades.

With the federal government’s backing, SSC-Khaatumo represents a “new path,” according to Somali officials, one that Mogadishu hopes will ultimately reinforce national unity by bringing a historically contested region firmly into the federal fold.