In a press release issued on Thursday by the Somaliland Council of Ministers, the government clarified that it has had no discussions with the Somali government concerning the release of prisoners.

“The prisoners taken to Mogadishu by the Prime Minister of Somalia are not prisoners of war,” the statement from the Somaliland Presidency read.

The statement went on to say, “The Somaliland government considers this move an attempt to cover up the political failure of the Somali government.”

International cooperation on prisoner exchange

Somaliland said it had held discussions with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and ambassadors from friendly nations to resolve the prisoner issue in accordance with international laws and procedures regarding prisoners.

“Somaliland is ready to exchange prisoners through any process that aligns with international prisoner exchange frameworks, with the ICRC at the core,” the statement continued.

“The Somaliland government has already discussed the issue of prisoners with its partner countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Finland, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates.”

SSC-Khaatumo Releases 25 Somaliland Prisoners of War

On Tuesday, the SSC-Khaatumo administration released 25 of the Somaliland prisoners who had been held in Las Anod, Sool region.

The release came following a visit by Somalia’s Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre to Las Anod this week.

In a joint statement issued by SSC-Khaatumo and the Somali government, it was announced that SSC-Khaatumo had agreed to release 25 prisoners due to special circumstances, describing the move as part of ongoing peace efforts.

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The battle, which lasted more than nine months and took place in the city of Lasanod, led to the defeat of Somaliland forces in August 2023.

SSC-Khaatumo captured more than 300 Somaliland prisoners, who were being held in a detention facility in Lasanod.

The release of the 25 prisoners was announced in a joint statement issued by the Federal Government of Somalia and SSC-Khaatumo.

“The SSC-Khaatumo administration, after consultation with its governing councils, has handed over 25 prisoners captured during the fighting with Somaliland to the Federal Government of Somalia,” the press release stated.

The statement coincided with the conclusion of a two-day visit to Lasanod by Somalia’s Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre.

The SSC-Khaatumo administration has released 25 prisoners of war who were captured during the 2023 conflict between SSC-Khaatumo forces and Somaliland.

According to the press release, SSC-Khaatumo decided to release the prisoners due to their health conditions.

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According to the press release, SSC-Khaatumo decided to release the prisoners due to their health conditions.

SSC-Khaatumo said the decision was made in consideration of the ongoing peacebuilding initiative.

It remains unclear what will happen to the other prisoners still in SSC-Khaatumo’s custody.

Meanwhile, Somaliland is also holding individuals from the Lasanod area in detention in Hargeisa.

There have been calls from members of the international community urging SSC-Khaatumo and Somaliland to engage in dialogue to resolve their disputes and release all detainees held by both sides.

Lasanod was previously part of Somaliland, which had declared separation from Somalia.
However, since the beginning of 2024, the Federal Government has recognized it as part of a Somali federal member state.

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