Laascaanood, Somalia (Kaab TV) – The leadership of SSC-Khaatumo has announced plans to hold a major conference aimed at integrating the entire Sanaag region into its administration—a move that could heighten tensions in the already divided and volatile region.
Speaking at a June 26 Independence Day event in Laascaanood on Thursday night, SSC-Khaatumo leader Abdikhadir Aw-Ali Firdhiye said the upcoming conference will bring together representatives from Sool, Sanaag, and Cayn to finalize a unified regional administration.
“A grand conference will be held to complete the establishment of this federal member state for the regions of Sool, Sanaag, and Cayn,” said Firdhiye, addressing hundreds of residents and local officials.
He emphasized that the Federal Government of Somalia, particularly the Ministry of Interior, will support and take part in the event.
“Delegates from across these regions will attend, and the Federal Government, through the Interior Ministry, will be involved as a facilitator,” Firdhiye added.
The move comes amid ongoing territorial disputes over Sanaag, a region deeply divided between parts aligned with Somaliland and others influenced by Puntland.
The western towns of Ceerigaabo, Laasqoray, and Ceel Afweyn are considered part of Somaliland, while the eastern towns—such as Badhan, Ceelbuh, and Dhahar—fall under Puntland’s control.
There is also a separate push by some local leaders and communities to establish an autonomous Maakhir State, with related meetings recently held in Mogadishu and other locations.
Firdhiye’s announcement raises concerns of renewed conflict, particularly in Ceerigaabo, which witnessed intense clan-based fighting earlier this year involving forces affiliated with both Somaliland and SSC-Khaatumo.
The violence resulted in deaths, injuries, and the displacement of civilians—many of whom have not yet returned.
In a separate development last month, Puntland’s Minister of Information, Mahmoud Aydid Dirir, said Puntland and SSC-Khaatumo remain constitutionally united and operate under a shared administration.
“There is no separation agreement yet,” he added.
Dirir, a native of Laascaanood, noted that officials and parliamentarians from Sool—including Puntland’s Vice President—remain part of Puntland’s governing structure, having been selected through local traditional elders.
As SSC-Khaatumo moves forward with its conference plans, questions remain about the potential impact on Sanaag’s fragile stability and how Somaliland and Puntland might respond to shifting political alignments in the region.