The North Eastern Parliament on Sunday directed the regional government to immediately begin legal proceedings against Somaliland soldiers detained in Las Anod, particularly those captured during the 2023 conflict, accusing them of crimes including forced displacement, killings, and other serious offenses allegedly committed during the fighting for control of the Sool region.

In its resolution, Parliament instructed the government to ensure that the detainees are prosecuted through a transparent and fair judicial process.

Notably, the resolution did not refer to the detainees as “prisoners of war” or mention Somaliland by name, signaling a possible shift in policy from treating the captives as bargaining chips for a future prisoner exchange to pursuing criminal prosecutions under domestic law.

However, experts note that any such trials would need to comply with international humanitarian law and be conducted by independent courts that meet internationally recognized standards.

The decision comes after months of negotiations and public debate over a possible prisoner exchange between North Eastern authorities and Somaliland.

Somaliland has repeatedly maintained that any release of detainees should only take place through a mutually agreed swap involving prisoners held by both sides.

In recent weeks, officials in Hargeisa reaffirmed that position, dismissing speculation that Somaliland would unilaterally release prisoners captured during the Laascaanood conflict.

The prisoners were captured during the 2023 fighting that ended Somaliland’s military presence in Laascaanood after months of heavy clashes with local forces.

The conflict displaced tens of thousands of civilians, caused significant casualties, and fundamentally altered control of the disputed Sool region, with Somaliland forces withdrawing from the city and local authorities establishing a new administration based in Las Anod.

The parliamentary session also witnessed another major political development. Lawmakers voted by a majority to strip parliamentary immunity from five MPs—Makhtal Said Mohamoud, Ahmed Caabi Hassan, Abdisalaan Abdullahi Mohamed, Sadik Jama Muse, and Ahmed Ali Mohamed—after they announced their resignations from Parliament.

The move clears the way for prosecutors to pursue legal action against the former lawmakers under the region’s constitution and criminal code, further deepening political tensions within the newly established administration.