(03-05-23) LASAANOOD – The SSC Council of Elders in Lasaanood, the capital of the Sool region, has reiterated its call for the government of Somaliland to withdraw its troops from the Sool region and the entire SSC areas. The statement appears to be a final message from the SSC to Somaliland amidst the ongoing conflict.
Garad Jama Garad Ali, the General Garad of SSC, urged Somaliland to withdraw its forces before further problems arise and more deadly wars take place. He emphasized that the SSC is committed to defending their land and resisting Somaliland forces, which they claim are attacking their people and their areas.
Garad Ali called for peaceful coexistence, stating, “We will not tolerate the dream that the British gave you this land and we are not neighbours, we can live together with Somali people who are in conflict and each man has his own land and authority.” He urged both parties to “shake hands while we are alive before our sons die, our blood spills, and they go home.”
The scholar also urged the Somaliland government to leave their land as soon as possible in light of the ongoing bloodshed. It remains uncertain how the Somaliland government will respond to this statement.
Somaliland has previously shown a willingness to listen to calls like these and engage with the international community to find a solution to the conflict in Lasanod. The fighting in the Sool region has lasted for more than three months, displacing hundreds of thousands of people and resulting in the loss of hundreds of lives.
Efforts at mediation and negotiation have collapsed, as the parties involved in the Lasa’anod conflict have failed to agree on conditions for dialogue.
© Halqabsi News
