Somaliland, Puntland unite to oppose Mogadishu-backed Northeastern state in Las Anod
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Monday October 6, 2025
FILE - Somaliland Defence Minister Mohamed Yusuf
Hargeisa (HOL) — Somaliland’s Defence Minister, Mohamed Yusuf, announced that Somaliland and Puntland have reached a rare agreement to jointly oppose the creation of a new “North Eastern Administration” recently declared in Las Anod, a move they both view as destabilizing.
Speaking to BBC Somali, Yusuf confirmed that the two sides will coordinate efforts to prevent the new entity from taking root and address emerging security threats in the region. He accused Somalia’s federal government of encouraging the declaration, calling it an attempt to sow division in contested areas.
"They (Puntland) don't recognize Northeastern state, and neither do we (Somaliland)."
The minister said both administrations will strengthen joint security coordination to curb militant activity and cross-border threats. He cautioned that extremist and foreign elements could exploit instability in the borderlands between the two territories.
According to Yusuf, Somaliland and Puntland also agreed to restore calm in the Sanaag region’s capital, Erigavo, and assist displaced residents returning home. The agreement further includes measures to boost trade, freedom of movement, and cooperation against terrorism.
The announcement marks a rare moment of cooperation between Somaliland and Puntland, whose relations have long been defined by border disputes and sporadic clashes in the Sool, Sanaag, and Cayn regions.
The federal government’s declaration of the “North Eastern Administration” last month in Las Anod has reignited tensions in the area. The state integrates the Sool, Sanaag, and Cayn regions into the federal structure following a year-long process that began under the SSC-Khaatumo transitional authority. The Interior Ministry oversaw the selection of an 83-member regional parliament, culminating in the election of President Abdikadir Ahmed Aw-Ali (Firdhiye) and Vice President Abdirashid Yusuf Jibril, both seen as close to Mogadishu’s leadership.
The development was immediately rejected by both Somaliland and Puntland. On August 3, Somaliland’s Cabinet issued a statement labelling the new administration “illegal,” reaffirming that its borders are those inherited at independence in 1960. “Sool, Sanaag, and Togdheer are an inalienable part of Somaliland,” Information Minister Ahmed Yasin Sheikh Ali Ayaanle said at the time. Puntland’s Parliament Speaker Abdirisaq Ahmed Mohamed (Qaraaje) similarly condemnedthe new entity as “politically divisive,” warning it could deepen rifts among northern Somali communities.
The dispute escalated shortly after when Puntland forces were deployed to Boo'ame and Falariyale, areas within Sool where the federal and Northeastern electoral commissions had begun one-person, one-vote registration. Puntland’s Vice President Ilyas Osman Lugatoor, a native of the area, publicly vowed to block the exercise, declaring the districts part of Puntland’s jurisdiction.
Days later, on September 17, the Northeastern Administration accused Somaliland of massing troops along contested border zones, alleging preparations for an offensive, a claim Hargeisa has denied. The Northeastern government called the mobilization a “grave threat to peace” and appealed to the United Nations, African Union, and IGAD to intervene.
The alignment between Somaliland and Puntland represents an uncommon moment of convergence for two rival administrations that have historically competed over territorial control in Sool, Sanaag, and Cayn. Their shared opposition to the Northeastern Administration may be a sign of shifting regional alliances driven by concerns over federal encroachment and local instability.
FacebookFacebook messengerTwitterWhatsAppLinkedInTelegramPhoneEmail
Monday October 6, 2025
FILE - Somaliland Defence Minister Mohamed Yusuf
Hargeisa (HOL) — Somaliland’s Defence Minister, Mohamed Yusuf, announced that Somaliland and Puntland have reached a rare agreement to jointly oppose the creation of a new “North Eastern Administration” recently declared in Las Anod, a move they both view as destabilizing.
Speaking to BBC Somali, Yusuf confirmed that the two sides will coordinate efforts to prevent the new entity from taking root and address emerging security threats in the region. He accused Somalia’s federal government of encouraging the declaration, calling it an attempt to sow division in contested areas.
"They (Puntland) don't recognize Northeastern state, and neither do we (Somaliland)."
The minister said both administrations will strengthen joint security coordination to curb militant activity and cross-border threats. He cautioned that extremist and foreign elements could exploit instability in the borderlands between the two territories.
According to Yusuf, Somaliland and Puntland also agreed to restore calm in the Sanaag region’s capital, Erigavo, and assist displaced residents returning home. The agreement further includes measures to boost trade, freedom of movement, and cooperation against terrorism.
The announcement marks a rare moment of cooperation between Somaliland and Puntland, whose relations have long been defined by border disputes and sporadic clashes in the Sool, Sanaag, and Cayn regions.
The federal government’s declaration of the “North Eastern Administration” last month in Las Anod has reignited tensions in the area. The state integrates the Sool, Sanaag, and Cayn regions into the federal structure following a year-long process that began under the SSC-Khaatumo transitional authority. The Interior Ministry oversaw the selection of an 83-member regional parliament, culminating in the election of President Abdikadir Ahmed Aw-Ali (Firdhiye) and Vice President Abdirashid Yusuf Jibril, both seen as close to Mogadishu’s leadership.
The development was immediately rejected by both Somaliland and Puntland. On August 3, Somaliland’s Cabinet issued a statement labelling the new administration “illegal,” reaffirming that its borders are those inherited at independence in 1960. “Sool, Sanaag, and Togdheer are an inalienable part of Somaliland,” Information Minister Ahmed Yasin Sheikh Ali Ayaanle said at the time. Puntland’s Parliament Speaker Abdirisaq Ahmed Mohamed (Qaraaje) similarly condemnedthe new entity as “politically divisive,” warning it could deepen rifts among northern Somali communities.
The dispute escalated shortly after when Puntland forces were deployed to Boo'ame and Falariyale, areas within Sool where the federal and Northeastern electoral commissions had begun one-person, one-vote registration. Puntland’s Vice President Ilyas Osman Lugatoor, a native of the area, publicly vowed to block the exercise, declaring the districts part of Puntland’s jurisdiction.
Days later, on September 17, the Northeastern Administration accused Somaliland of massing troops along contested border zones, alleging preparations for an offensive, a claim Hargeisa has denied. The Northeastern government called the mobilization a “grave threat to peace” and appealed to the United Nations, African Union, and IGAD to intervene.
The alignment between Somaliland and Puntland represents an uncommon moment of convergence for two rival administrations that have historically competed over territorial control in Sool, Sanaag, and Cayn. Their shared opposition to the Northeastern Administration may be a sign of shifting regional alliances driven by concerns over federal encroachment and local instability.
