By Horn Africa News
HARGEISA – Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro has appealed to residents of Lasanod and the wider Sool region to strengthen ties with Hargeisa rather than Mogadishu, amid rising political tensions in northern Somalia.
Speaking Monday in the port city of Berbera, President Irro reiterated Somaliland’s claim over the contested Sool region, emphasizing its importance to the self-declared republic.
“Eastern Sool residents are Somalilanders,” he declared. “To the people of Lasanod and those living there: Hargeisa is closer to you than Mogadishu. You share everything with Hargeisa.”
His remarks follow the recent proclamation of a new autonomous entity – the Northeastern State of Somalia – by Dhulbahante and Warsangeli clan leaders in eastern Sool and Sanaag. The state, endorsed by Somalia’s federal government in Mogadishu, has raised alarm in both Somaliland and Puntland, which each lay claim to the disputed regions.
President Irro stressed his administration’s commitment to dialogue but warned against threats to Somaliland’s borders.
“God willing, at the right time, Somaliland will protect its peace and its entire border,” he said.
The emergence of the Northeastern State further complicates the decades-long struggle over Sool and Sanaag, regions prized for their strategic location and resources. Analysts caution that the development could intensify instability, as clashes between Somaliland forces and local militias continue to flare.
Both Somaliland and Puntland have formally protested the creation of the new state, describing it as a provocation that risks undermining fragile stability in northern Somalia.
