The Puntland–Somaliland dispute is a
territorial dispute
A territorial dispute or boundary dispute is a disagreement over the possession or control of land between two or more political entities.
Context and definitions
Territorial disputes are often related to the possession of natural resources su ...
over the
provinces
A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outsi ...
of
Sool
Sool ( so, Sool, ar, صول) is an administrative region ('' gobol'') in south eastern Somaliland/north western Somalia. It borders Togdheer to the west, Sanaag to the north, Ethiopia to the south and Nugal, Bari to the east. Its capital city ...
,
Sanaag
Sanag ( so, Sanaag, ar, سَنَاج) is an administrative region (''Administrative divisions of Somaliland, gobol'') in north eastern Somaliland.[Buuhoodle district
Buhoodle District ( so, Degmada Buuhoodle) is a district in the Togdheer region of Somaliland. Its district capital is Buuhoodle.
Demographics
The district is inhabited by the Dhulbahante clan of the Daarood
The Darod ( so, Daarood, ar, د ...](_blank)
of
Togdheer
Togdheer ( so, Togdheer, ar, تُوْجْدَيْر, Tūjdayr) is an administrative region ('' gobol'') in central Somaliland. Togdheer is bordered by Maroodi Jeex to the west, Saaxil to the north, Sanaag to the northeast, Sool to the east and ...
region between the
self-declared Self-proclaimed describes a legal title that is recognized by the declaring person but not necessarily by any recognized legal authority. It can be the status of a noble title or the status of a nation. The term is used informally for anyone declari ...
Republic of
Somaliland
Somaliland,; ar, صوماليلاند ', ' officially the Republic of Somaliland,, ar, جمهورية صوماليلاند, link=no ''Jumhūrīyat Ṣūmālīlānd'' is a ''de facto'' sovereign state in the Horn of Africa, still conside ...
and the
Puntland
Puntland ( so, Puntland, ar, أرض البنط, it, Terra di Punt or ''Paese di Punt''), officially the Puntland State of Somalia ( so, Dowlad Goboleedka Puntland ee Soomaaliya, ar, ولاية أرض البنط الصومالية), is a F ...
state of
Somalia
Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...
.
Background
1894 border
The territory was historically part of
British Somaliland
British Somaliland, officially the Somaliland Protectorate ( so, Dhulka Maxmiyada Soomaalida ee Biritishka), was a British Empire, British protectorate in present-day Somaliland. During its existence, the territory was bordered by Italian Soma ...
, a British protectorate that granted independence in 1960 and then formed a union with neighboring Italian colony
Trust Territory of Somaliland
The Trust Territory of Somaliland, officially the "Trust Territory of Somaliland under Italian administration" ( it, Amministrazione fiduciaria italiana della Somalia), was a United Nations Trust Territory situated in present-day Somalia. Its ca ...
to form the
Somali Republic
The Somali Republic ( so, Jamhuuriyadda Soomaaliyeed; it, Repubblica Somala; ar, الجمهورية الصومالية, Jumhūriyyat aṣ-Ṣūmālīyyah) was a sovereign state composed of Somalia and Somaliland, following the unification o ...
. When the
Somaliland War of Independence
The Somaliland War of Independence ( so, Dagaalkii Xoraynta Soomaaliland, lit=Somaliland Liberation War) was a rebellion waged by the Somali National Movement against the ruling military junta in Somali Democratic Republic, Somalia led by Genera ...
was concluded and the
Somali Civil War
The Somali Civil War ( so, Dagaalkii Sokeeye ee Soomaaliya; ar, الحرب الأهلية الصومالية ) is an ongoing civil war that is taking place in Somalia. It grew out of resistance to the Military dictatorship, military junta wh ...
broke out,
Somaliland
Somaliland,; ar, صوماليلاند ', ' officially the Republic of Somaliland,, ar, جمهورية صوماليلاند, link=no ''Jumhūrīyat Ṣūmālīlānd'' is a ''de facto'' sovereign state in the Horn of Africa, still conside ...
declared independence from Somalia in 1991 as a successor state to the British protectorate and declared independence from Somalia.
The dispute started in 1998, when Puntland was formed as an autonomous state of Somalia and declared the region as part of its territory based on tribal affiliation of the locals.
Clan border
Puntland claims Sool, Sanaag and
Cayn
Cayn or Ayn is an administrative region that Puntland declared to be founded in the 2000s. However, the administrative division of Somaliland defines it as Buhoodle District in Togdheer, and Somaliland effectively controls it with the exception o ...
based on kinship ties with the regions' dominant
Darod
The Darod ( so, Daarood, ar, دارود) is a Somali clan. The forefather of this clan was Sheikh Abdirahman bin Isma'il al-Jabarti, more commonly known as ''Darood''. The clan primarily settles the apex of the Horn of Africa and its peripherie ...
clans. Somaliland claims the territory as part of the original boundaries of the former British Somaliland protectorate, which the self-declared country regards itself as the successor to.
Fighting between the two forces led to casualties and captured prisoners, who were later exchanged.
In 2010, the
Dhulbahante
The Dhulbahante ( so, Dhulbahante, ar, دلبةنتئ) is a Somali clan family, part of the Harti clan which itself belongs to the largest Somali clan-family — the Darod. They are the traditional inhabitants of the physiographic Nugaal in its ...
clan declared the independence of the
HBM-SSC
SSC or HMB-SSC ( so, Haggaanka Mideynta iyo Badbaadinta Gobolada SSC ee Soomalia, Unity and Salvation Authority of the SSC regions of Somalia) or HBM-SSC ( so, Hoggaanka Badbaadada iyo Mideynta SSC) was the name of the self-proclaimed autonomous g ...
, and when that failed, in 2012, proclaimed the independence of
Khatumo State
Khatumo State ( so, Khaatumo; ar, ولاية خاتمة, translit=wilāyat khātimah), officially the Khatumo State of Somalia ( so, Dowlad Goboleedka Khaatumo ee Soomaaliya), was a successor to the SSC Movement. Centred on the Sool, Sanaag reg ...
, claiming all three territories for themselves independent of both Somaliland and Puntland, thereby forming a new, third faction in the conflict. However, Khatumo State also lost territorial control around 2015.
Sanaag
Sanaag is a disputed region, claimed as
sovereign
''Sovereign'' is a title which can be applied to the highest leader in various categories. The word is borrowed from Old French , which is ultimately derived from the Latin , meaning 'above'.
The roles of a sovereign vary from monarch, ruler or ...
territory by
Somaliland
Somaliland,; ar, صوماليلاند ', ' officially the Republic of Somaliland,, ar, جمهورية صوماليلاند, link=no ''Jumhūrīyat Ṣūmālīlānd'' is a ''de facto'' sovereign state in the Horn of Africa, still conside ...
and Puntland State of
Somalia
Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...
.
One of the battlefront as of 2021 is between
Yubbe
Yubbe (also known as Yobe, Yube, Yubeh and Yubbe Tug) is a town in the Sanaag of Somaliland .http://www.maplandia.com/somalia/sanaag/Badhan-Badhan/yube/ There is a Somaliland military base.
History Archaeology
A desert town mostly inhabited b ...
(Somaliland) and
Hadaftimo
Hadaftimo ( so, Hadaaftimo) is an historic town in the eastern Sanaag region. It is home to several archaeological sites and ancient buildings. There is a Puntland military base.
History
Hadaftimo is an old town. During the British Somalilan ...
(Puntland).
The dispute with the
Transitional Federal Government
The Transitional Federal Government (TFG) ( so, Dowladda Federaalka Kumeelgaarka, ar, الحكومة الاتحادية الانتقالية) was internationally recognized as a provisional government of the Republic of Somalia from 14 October ...
(TFG) stems from the passage of the new Charter in November 2004. However, this was not a pragmatic issue until the military successes of the government in the 2006–2007
war in Somalia War in Somalia can refer to:
*Somali Civil War (1991–present)
:*War in Somalia (1992–1993) U.N. Unified Task Force
:*Somalia War (2006–2009), Ethiopian intervention
:*Somali Civil War (2009–present)
{{Dab ...
. Assertions of sovereignty in January 2007 by the TFG leadership sparked riots in Somaliland.
On July 1, 2007, the state of
Maakhir
Maakhir ( so, Goboleedka Maakhir, ar, ماخر ), officially the Maakhir State of Somalia ( so, Maamul Goboleedka Maakhir; ar, ولاية ماخر الصومال ) was a short-lived quasi-state in the Sanaag region of eastern Somaliland
...
was declared in eastern Sanaag. The polity's leaders claimed independence from both Puntland and Somaliland, but Maakhir was later officially incorporated into Puntland in January 2009.
On 20 July 2013, an agreement between local elders in the south of
Sanaag
Sanag ( so, Sanaag, ar, سَنَاج) is an administrative region (''Administrative divisions of Somaliland, gobol'') in north eastern Somaliland.[Government of Somaliland
The Government of Somaliland (JSL) ( so, Dowladda Somaliland or Xukuumada Somaliland, ar, حكومة صوماليلاند) is the central government of Somaliland. The Government of Somaliland consists of legislative, executive, and judicial ...](_blank)
led to the defection of the fighters in an attempt to combine the previously warring forces. "We had discussions and we agreed to work together on security in the area," Somaliland information minister Abdullahi Ukuse, adding that "the defecting force is made up of 500 fighters, 13 technicals and six lorries. These fighters were previously adversaries of the
omalilandmilitary. The two forces are now one army." Other sources estimated that somewhere between 500 and 800 soldiers defected and integrated with the
Somaliland National Army
The Somaliland National Army ( so, Ciidanka Qaranka Somaliland, ar, الجيش صوماليلاندي), is the land force and largest branch of the Somaliland Armed Forces is based in the Somaliland capital of Hargeisa. There are approximately 1 ...
. A defecting Khaatumo state commander said he was happy that he joined the Somaliland troops, promising to help beef up security in the region.
On 12 June 2014, heavily armed
Somaliland National Army
The Somaliland National Army ( so, Ciidanka Qaranka Somaliland, ar, الجيش صوماليلاندي), is the land force and largest branch of the Somaliland Armed Forces is based in the Somaliland capital of Hargeisa. There are approximately 1 ...
entered
Hingalol
Hingalol or Hingalool ( so, Xingalool) is a district located in the Sanaag region of Somalia.
Overview
Hingalol is situated on the Hadeed Plateau of the Sanaag region. Hingalol was established in 1958. A small hamlet, it increased in size and po ...
town. According to Puntland MP Abdihakim Abdullahi, they arrived in 13 battle wagons and were repeatedly told by local elders to leave the town or they would encounter resistance. Puntland elder
Garad
Garad ( Harari: ገራድ, , , Oromo: ''Garaada'') is a term used to refer to a clan leader or regional administrator. It was used primarily by Muslims in the Horn of Africa that were associated with Islamic states, most notably the Adal Sultanat ...
Abdullahi Ali Eid similarly indicated that before the Somaliland forces' began their march toward the area, Puntland clan elders had met with them and requested that they not enter the town ahead of a scheduled June 15 clan convention.
Sool
![Somalia ethnic grps 2002](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8b/Somalia_ethnic_grps_2002.jpg)
Sool is a disputed region, claimed as
sovereign
''Sovereign'' is a title which can be applied to the highest leader in various categories. The word is borrowed from Old French , which is ultimately derived from the Latin , meaning 'above'.
The roles of a sovereign vary from monarch, ruler or ...
territory by both the
Somaliland
Somaliland,; ar, صوماليلاند ', ' officially the Republic of Somaliland,, ar, جمهورية صوماليلاند, link=no ''Jumhūrīyat Ṣūmālīlānd'' is a ''de facto'' sovereign state in the Horn of Africa, still conside ...
and Puntland State of
Somalia
Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...
. Under the government of
Siad Barre
Mohamed Siad Barre ( so, Maxamed Siyaad Barre, Osmanya script: ; ar, محمد سياد بري; c. 1910 – 2 January 1995) was a Somali head of state and general who served as the 3rd president of the Somali Democratic Republic from 1969 to 199 ...
, Sool was not a separate region, but part of the larger
Nugaal
Nugaal is an intermittent river that runs along the Nugaal Valley. It begins several miles to the west of Sool, and ends at Eyl where the outlet flows into the Indian Ocean. It evaporates at the onset of the hagaa, the Somali dry season. Due to ...
province, with the capital city of
Garowe
Garowe ( so, Garoowe, ar, غَاْرَّوْؤَيَ, . It was separated from Nugaal in the 1980s.
According to the UN Security Council, on 17 September, fighting broke out between forces loyal to the self-declared independent republic of “Somaliland” and the semi-autonomous region of “Puntland” in Laascaanood, the capital of the disputed Sool region. Although the fighting started as a result of intra-clan tensions, it continued sporadically through September, drawing security forces from both “Somaliland” and “Puntland” and resulting in a high number of casualties. My Special Representative and his team urged senior “Somaliland” and “Puntland” officials to de-escalate the situation and reduce tensions in the region. In October, the situation in the Sool and Sanaag regions deteriorated further, with increased fighting between both parties. On
15 October, after heavy fighting which resulted in at least 10 deaths, “Somaliland” troops took control of Laascaanood. In the aftermath, “Puntland” mobilized its forces to regain control of the area and repel what they considered an invasion by “Somaliland” authorities and foreign elements. “Somaliland” rejected the allegations and vowed to continue the struggle until the region was liberated. In Sool, clashes were reported
in Taleh on 28 November between armed men from the Dhulbahante clan and Puntland forces. Those clashes reportedly resulted in the killing of 12 people, including 11 civilians, and injury to several others. “Somaliland” was relatively calm. Isolated armed clashes were reported in the disputed Sool, Sanaag, and Cayn regions on 27 and 28 November. Tension was high in early December following reports of a military build-up along the border between “Somaliland” and Puntland, but no further incidents were reported. Tension between Puntland and “Somaliland” increased over the contested Sool and Sanaag regions. The visit by the President of “Somaliland”, Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud Silanyo, to the coastal town of Laasqoray in the disputed Sanaag region on 16 March triggered a military build-up from both sides. Accusations made by senior Puntland officials that “Somaliland” was supporting Al-Shabaab further strained relations. “Somaliland” refuted the allegations and called upon the Federal Government to intervene. On 15 April, “Somaliland” deployed its forces to the disputed Sool region and, on the same day, occupied the town of Taleex. The troops left the town the next day, after less than 24 hours. Tension in the disputed Sool region grew when “Somaliland” forces seized the town of Taleex on 12 June and disrupted a conference organized by leaders, elders and supporters of the self-declared “Khatumo State”. The tension escalated when the Government of Puntland reinforced its military presence in the contested region. On 26 June, “Somaliland” forces withdrew from Taleex, leaving behind a pro-“Somaliland” Dhulbahante militia. The “Khatumo” leaders relocated to Saaxdheer, an area in the Sool region near the Ethiopian border, from where one of the “Khatumo” founders and a parliamentarian, Ali Khalif Galayr, was elected the new President of “Khatumo” on 14 August. On 27 August, “Somaliland” forces captured Saaxdheer and have since occupied the area. In the northern region of Sool, claimed by both “Somaliland” and Puntland, fighting resulted in several deaths among various rival Dhulbahante sub-clans with opposing loyalties to “Somaliland”, Puntland and the Khatumo aspiration. Armed Forces of “Somaliland” intervened in the fighting and are currently based in Sadher, near the Ethiopian border. Western areas of “Somaliland” remained relatively peaceful, while the Sool, Sanaag and Cayn regions experienced intermittent armed clashes between “Somaliland” forces and militias supporting aspirations for a new state of “Khatumo”. In February, attacks by Dulbahante militia supporting the separatist “Khatumo” movement against “Somaliland” forces in the Sool and Sanaag regions resulted in the death of one “Somaliland” and two Khatumo combatants; the security situation stabilized in March, however.
Ayn
The area, centered on the town of
Buuhoodle
Buuhoodle ( so, Buuhoodle, ar, بووهودل), also known as Bohotle, is the second largest city in the Togdheer region of Somaliland and also the capital of the Cayn region under Puntland. It is a prominent border town for movements of goods t ...
, is also disputed by
Somaliland
Somaliland,; ar, صوماليلاند ', ' officially the Republic of Somaliland,, ar, جمهورية صوماليلاند, link=no ''Jumhūrīyat Ṣūmālīlānd'' is a ''de facto'' sovereign state in the Horn of Africa, still conside ...
and
Puntland
Puntland ( so, Puntland, ar, أرض البنط, it, Terra di Punt or ''Paese di Punt''), officially the Puntland State of Somalia ( so, Dowlad Goboleedka Puntland ee Soomaaliya, ar, ولاية أرض البنط الصومالية), is a F ...
. According to Somaliland, the so-called Ayn ( so,
Cayn
Cayn or Ayn is an administrative region that Puntland declared to be founded in the 2000s. However, the administrative division of Somaliland defines it as Buhoodle District in Togdheer, and Somaliland effectively controls it with the exception o ...
) area claimed by Puntland remains part of the
Togdheer
Togdheer ( so, Togdheer, ar, تُوْجْدَيْر, Tūjdayr) is an administrative region ('' gobol'') in central Somaliland. Togdheer is bordered by Maroodi Jeex to the west, Saaxil to the north, Sanaag to the northeast, Sool to the east and ...
region. Somaliland disputes the territorial claims of Puntland, which wrote the claim on the portion of Togdheere into their 1998 charter.
In 2011, tension between the two regions developed as a result of fighting between the “Somaliland” forces and militias belonging to
Sool-Sanaag-Cayn, which were reportedly backed by neighbouring “Puntland”. Disagreement over water holes in the disputed area of Buuhoodle led to fighting in late February between the “Somaliland” army and Sool-Sanaag-Cayn
militias; the latter was reportedly backed by “Puntland” forces. A tentative ceasefire has held since March, aided by “Puntland’s” withdrawal and “Somaliland” peacebuilding measures. However, Buuhoodle remains a militarized zone, and the conflict may resume as competition for water resources and pasture in droughtaffected areas increases. After months of negotiations, initiated by the “Somaliland” President, a reconciliation conference was held from 23 to 26 June for the Sool region, between the Sool-Sanag-Cayn alliances and the Dhulbahante sub-clan. The conference resulted in an agreement covering prisoner release, illegal land-grabbing and digging of boreholes. Meanwhile, a survey organized by an officially appointed committee found support for an expansion in the number of political parties allowed to register. Las Anod experienced killings and violent attacks owing to the disagreement between “Somaliland”, “Puntland” and Sool-Sanag-Cayn alliances over territory. “Somaliland” forces and Sool-Sanag-Cayn militia fought inMay, and “Puntland” and “Somaliland” clashed in August. Proposed oil drilling north of Las
Anod by a commercial partner of “Puntland” added to existing tensions. The authorities in “Puntland” and “Somaliland” continued to exchange hostile rhetoric over the disputed regions of Sool and Sanaag. On 8 October, the President of “Somaliland” visited the disputed town of Laascaanood. In a press statement, the “Puntland” administration warned that this might ignite conflict in the area. On 9 November, “Puntland” warned “Somaliland” not to interfere in clan disputes and accused its administration of stirring up public unrest and causing the displacement of people in the Erigavo district of Sanaag region In 2012 Following a meeting between President Silanyo of “Somaliland” and Suleiman Esse Ahmed Haglatosie, the leader of the militia of the Sool, Sanaag and Cayn (SSC) regions of northern Somalia, in Dubai on 27 June, the SSC militia agreed to lay down arms and enter into talks with the “Somaliland” administration. The SSC leader promised to start disbanding his militia and hand over the weaponry at his disposal to the “Somaliland” administration. From 16 to 23 July 2012, Mr. Haglatosie also visited Garoowe to consult the “Puntland” leadership, seeking a negotiated end to the conflict in the region. In “Somaliland”, renewed military activities by the self-declared “Khaatumo State” led to armed clashes in the disputed Sool, Sanaag and Cayn areas in June and July 2012. In addition, there was tension between “Khaatumo State” and “Puntland”. Al-Shabaab undertook frequent troop movements from southern and central Somalia to “Somaliland” and “Puntland”, although the insurgents’ focus on those areas was more on recruitment than terrorist activity. “Puntland” also faced continuous challenges from the Al-Shabaab-linked Galgala insurgents, freelance militias, and pirates, whose criminal activities on the mainland intensified during the reporting period. Relations between “Somaliland” and “Puntland” remained strained. On 19 January, Dhulbahante clan leaders and politicians from Sool, Sanaag and Cayn announced the formation of a new administration, called “Khaatumo State”. Sool and Sanaag regions are claimed by both “Puntland” and “Somaliland”, whose forces continued to clash over the control of towns and villages. This resulted in displacement and intensified clan wars over grazing, water and other natural resources. Demonstrations were held in support of the new administration, demanding the withdrawal of “Somaliland” troops from Laascaanood.The dispute between “Somaliland” and the newly proclaimed “Khaatumo State”, in addition to clan-related violence, resulted in fatal clashes in Buuhoodle and Sool. While Al-Shabaab continued to lose ground in south-central Somalia, there were reports of it strengthening its alliance with militias in the Galgala mountain area in “Puntland”. Insurgents reportedly aligned with Al-Shabaab clashed with local authorities. “Puntland’s” security situation was also characterized by renewed hostility against foreign involvement in the exploitation of natural
resources. Separately, in the Sool and Sanaag regions, tensions were reported on 4 May and 15 June following a Puntland military build-up around Tukaraq, Sool Region, and armed clashes between the “Somaliland” army and a militia that supports the separatist “Khatumo” movement.
Armed clashes
2007 Somaliland capture of Las Anod
In October 2007, the conflict mushroomed into a regional conflict over control of the city of
Las Anod
Las Anod ( so, Laascaanood; ar, لاسعانود) is the administrative capital of the Sool region of Somaliland.
Territorial dispute
The city is disputed by Puntland and Somaliland. The former bases its claim due to the kinship ties between ...
, as Somaliland regular army forces mobilized from their base in the town of Adhicadeeye, west of the city, and entered the conflict. Puntland was slow to mobilize a counter-attack, as Puntland's weak economy and overstretched military obligations in
Mogadishu
Mogadishu (, also ; so, Muqdisho or ; ar, مقديشو ; it, Mogadiscio ), locally known as Xamar or Hamar, is the capital and List of cities in Somalia by population, most populous city of Somalia. The city has served as an important port ...
prevented a rapid response. After getting the city under its control, Somaliland moved Sool's regional administration into Las Anod. Between 10 and 20 people were reported to be dead.
2010 clashes
In 2010, Ethiopian and Somaliland forces engaged an autonomist militia in northern Somalia's Sool region in a bid to pacify the region ahead of the
2010 Somaliland presidential election. While Ethiopian troops had entered southern Somalia to fight Islamist militants on previous occasions, this is believed to be the first time that they had done so in Somaliland, a region generally seen as more stable than Somalia.
2016 clashes
On 18 July, at least five soldiers have been killed after Puntland and Somaliland troops clashed in Sanaag. A Puntland army commander confirmed that three Puntland soldiers and two high ranking Somaliland military officers were killed.
Somaliland captured a prominent member of the Puntland administration, Mohamed Farah Adan, who was the former vice Minister of Justice and is currently a member of the Puntland parliament. He was detained for a week in
Erigavo
Erigavo ( so, Ceerigaabo, ), also spelled as Erigabo, is the capital and largest city of the Sanaag region of Somaliland.
History
The Erigavo settlement is several centuries old. The surrounding area was supposedly built by the Madigan Dir. ...
and released the following month.
2018 clashes
In January and May 2018, the
Battle of Tukaraq
The Battle of Tukaraq saw Somaliland National Army engage Puntland forces in Tukaraq, a town in the eastern Sool region, on the road between the regional capitals of Las Anod and Garowe. The ensuing heavy clashes resulted in Somaliland ousting th ...
between Somaliland and Puntland troops left 200 to 300 people dead and led to the displacement of 2700 families. At the end of July the
Intergovernmental Authority on Development
The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) is an eight-country trade bloc in Africa. It includes governments from the Horn of Africa, Nile Valley and the African Great Lakes. It is headquartered in Djibouti.
Member states
;Horn of Af ...
and United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia mediated a ceasefire agreement between Somaliland and Puntland, but by the end of the year neither parties publicly supported the terms of the agreement.
Other viewpoints
Former president of Somalia
Hassan Sheikh Mohamud
Hassan Sheikh Mohamud ( so, Xasan Sheekh Maxamuud, ar, حسن شيخ محمود; born 29 November 1955) is a Somali politician who has served as the president of Somalia since May 2022. He is the founder and current chairman of the Union for P ...
stated his opinion whilst in office that
Puntland
Puntland ( so, Puntland, ar, أرض البنط, it, Terra di Punt or ''Paese di Punt''), officially the Puntland State of Somalia ( so, Dowlad Goboleedka Puntland ee Soomaaliya, ar, ولاية أرض البنط الصومالية), is a F ...
is made up of two and a half regions (
Bari
Bari ( , ; nap, label= Barese, Bare ; lat, Barium) is the capital city of the Metropolitan City of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, southern Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy a ...
,
Nugal and northern
Mudug
Mudug ( so, Mudug; it, Mudugh) is an administrative region ('' gobol'') in north-central Somalia. The population of Mudug is 131,455 as of 2005.
Overview
Physiographically, Mudug is bordered to the west by Ethiopia,Országismertető - Szomália ...
), which goes against Puntland's claim of Sool and Sanaag.
Furthermore, in preparation for the
Somali presidential election of 2017 the communiqué released by the office of Presidency of
Somalia
Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...
regarding Somalia's National Leadership Forum referred to the disputed territory as ''Gobollada Sool iyo Sanaag ee Soomaaliland'' (Somaliland's Sool and Sanaag regions).
Somalia's National Leadership Forum was chaired by the President of Somalia
Hassan Sheikh Mohamud
Hassan Sheikh Mohamud ( so, Xasan Sheekh Maxamuud, ar, حسن شيخ محمود; born 29 November 1955) is a Somali politician who has served as the president of Somalia since May 2022. He is the founder and current chairman of the Union for P ...
, and attended by the Speaker of Parliament
Mohamed Osman Jawari
Mohamed Osman Jawari ( so, Maxamed Cismaan Jawaari, ar, محمد عثمان جواري) (born December 7, 1945 in Afgoi, Somalia), also known as Mohamed Jawari or Osman Jawari, is a Somali attorney and politician. He is former Speaker of the Fede ...
, Prime Minister
Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke
Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke (; so, Cumar Cabdirashiid Cali Sharmaarke, ar, عمر شرماركي) (born 18 June 1960), popularly known as Omar Sharmarke, is a Somali diplomat and politician. From 2009 to 2010, he was the Prime Minister of Som ...
, Presidents of
South West
The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each se ...
,
Galmudug
Galmudug ( ar, جلمدج; it, Galmudugh), officially Galmudug State of Somalia ( so, Dowlad Goboleedka Galmudug ee Somalia, Soomaaliya), is a States and regions of Somalia, Federal Member State in central Somalia, with its capital at Dhusamareb. ...
,
Hirshabelle
Hirshabelle, officially Hirshabelle State of Somalia ( Somali: ''Dowlad Goboleedka Hirshabelle ee Soomaaliya''), is a Federal Member State in south-central Somalia. It is bordered by Galmudug state of Somalia to the north, South West State ...
, states of Somalia and the Vice President of
Puntland
Puntland ( so, Puntland, ar, أرض البنط, it, Terra di Punt or ''Paese di Punt''), officially the Puntland State of Somalia ( so, Dowlad Goboleedka Puntland ee Soomaaliya, ar, ولاية أرض البنط الصومالية), is a F ...
state.
See also
*
2010 Ayn clashes
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1 ...
*
Maakhir
Maakhir ( so, Goboleedka Maakhir, ar, ماخر ), officially the Maakhir State of Somalia ( so, Maamul Goboleedka Maakhir; ar, ولاية ماخر الصومال ) was a short-lived quasi-state in the Sanaag region of eastern Somaliland
...
*
Khatumo State
Khatumo State ( so, Khaatumo; ar, ولاية خاتمة, translit=wilāyat khātimah), officially the Khatumo State of Somalia ( so, Dowlad Goboleedka Khaatumo ee Soomaaliya), was a successor to the SSC Movement. Centred on the Sool, Sanaag reg ...
References
Notes
* H. J. de Blij, Peter O. Muller, Antoinette WinklerPrins, Jan Nijman,
The World Today: Concepts and Regions in Geography', (John Wiley & Sons: 2010)
Puntland Constitution
Further reading
* Hoehne, Markus V. 2007: Puntland and Somaliland clashing in northern Somalia: Who cuts the Gordian knot?, published online on 7 November 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20090703051338/http://hornofafrica.ssrc.org/Hoehne/
* Hoehne, Markus V. 2009: Mimesis and mimicry in dynamics of state and identity formation in northern Somalia, Africa 79/2, pp. 252–281.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Puntland-Somaliland dispute
21st century in Somaliland
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