Somaliland Showcases Military Strength in Sool Amid Somalia President’s Visit to Eastern Region.

Hornpost staff Reporter January 17, 2026 No Comments

Somaliland Condemns Mogadishu’s ‘Blatant Interference’ During Sool Visit.

Somaliland Leaders Say Somali President’s Las Anod Trip Threatens Regional Stability.

Sool, Somaliland (Horn post) The Government of Somaliland on Tuesday staged a major military display in the Sool region, underscoring what it described as its readiness to defend territorial integrity, as Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and senior federal officials were present in eastern Sool, a move Somaliland has strongly condemned as an incursion into its territory.

The show of force coincided with the graduation of newly trained troops, where senior Somaliland officials issued sharp warnings over the presence of Somalia’s federal leadership in Las Anod.

Speaking at the military graduation ceremony, Somaliland’s Minister of Defense, Mohamed Yusuf, accused President Hassan Sheikh and his delegation of pursuing what he termed a deliberate campaign of provocation and instability.

“They arrived by plane yesterday evening and they will leave by plane today,” the minister said, addressing residents of Las Anod. “Somalis say, do not carry the load of someone who will not open the door for you. Hassan will leave, but you will remain between Somaliland and Puntland.”

He added that the visit was intended to show division and fuel conflict among local communities.

Somaliland authorities said more than 6,000 soldiers had completed training in the Sool region, though officials did not disclose the exact locations of the deployment. The troops are expected to bolster Somaliland’s security presence following the 2023 conflict that led to the withdrawal of Somaliland forces from parts of eastern Sool.

Addressing the graduating forces, Somaliland National Army Commander Nimcan Gahnug said the troops were “the swords that will cut down anyone who attempts to destabilize the Republic of Somaliland.”

Other senior officials echoed similar sentiments. Somaliland’s State Minister for Security described President Hassan Sheikh’s visit to Las Anod as a political distraction aimed at masking what he called governance failures in Mogadishu.

“The man in Las Anod has come only for photo opportunities,” said the Deputy Minister of Transport, adding that the Somali president was attempting to conceal the collapse of his administration.

Somaliland’s Minister of Investment, Saeed Mohamed Buraale, said the Somali president “does not even fully control Mogadishu” and accused him of escalating tensions to compensate for domestic political weakness.

Lawmakers also weighed in, with MP Ahmed Yasin from the Awdal region warning that Somaliland faces multiple adversaries and must remain united, while Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Said Mire Giire accused President Hassan Sheikh of deliberately exporting instability to Las Anod.

The developments come as President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is in Las Anod attending the inauguration of the Northeastern administration, a move widely viewed in Somaliland as part of Somalia’s effort to undermine Somaliland’s authority in the region.

Earlier, Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi (Irro) condemned the visit as a “blatant provocation and naked interference,” warning that Mogadishu’s actions could have wider consequences.

President Abdirahman Irro said he had formally notified the international community that Somalia’s steps risk undermining peace and stability not only in Somaliland, but across the Horn of Africa.

Somaliland officials stressed that the newly trained forces form part of a broader security restructuring launched early last year, including the integration of clan-based militias involved in the 2023 Sool conflict, as Hargeisa seeks to reassert its military and political posture in the contested region.

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