Withdraw troops from Laas’anod for peace, PM Barre urges Somaliland

GOOBJOOG NEWS|MOGADISHU: Prime Minister Hamze Barre has called on Somaliland to withdraw its troops from Laas’anod to give room for dialogue adding to similar calls locally and internationally.

Speaking Monday night at a function in Mogadishu, the PM said the withdrawal of troops will pave way for dialogue between the warring sides.

“Somaliland should pull out the troops there and allow them to establish a ceasefire and resolve any disputes with Somalis together,” the PM said.

The remarks come amid sustained tensions in the contested town of Laas’anod as the conflict which started last December persists.

Somaliland claimed on Saturday that Puntland forces alongside militias opposed to the administration in Hargeisa attacked the Somaliland National Army positions but were repulsed.

The UN Security Council last month urged Somaliland to withdraw its troops from Laas’anod. However, intermittent fighting has raged on without a resolution to the dispute in sight.

The PM also spoke about the political stalemate in Puntland. He noted that he had contacted the influential council of elders there and urged them to create room for dialogue to resolve the long running political row between President Abdullahi Deni and the opposition.

The opposition in Puntland has accused Deni of seeking an extended stay in office through a constitutional change whose process is currently before the state parliament. Puntland is set to hold presidential elections next January when Deni’s term lapses.