Over 100 Ga’an Libaah recruits attempted defection amid Somaliland’s amnesty offer. The Ga’an Libaah Movement is a militant group associated with the Garhajis subclan. The incident unfolded on Sunday in the Sahil region of Somaliland and was captured in a video that has since circulated on social media.
Sahil region, Somaliland, SOMALIA. By Dalmar:
In the video, an individual is brandishing an AK-47 assault rifle, ready to stop a truck carrying dozens of men. The scene escalates when the soldier begins firing shots into the air upon seeing the approaching vehicle, clearly attempting to intercept it. As the truck reaches him, he orders the passengers to disembark.
The armed individual then complains that the traditional clan elders, who hold significant influence in the region, align themselves with Somaliland and do not act in the best interests of the Ga’an Libaah Movement.
Somaliland’s amnesty offer
The men in the truck claimed they were en route to the city of Sheikh in Somaliland’s Sahil region. The Ga’an Libaah Movement, which launched its insurgency in July, has faced increased pressure from regional authorities. In response to mounting tensions, Somaliland recently extended an amnesty offer to militants willing to lay down their arms and renounce their affiliation with the group.
The Ministry of Interior of the self-declared state officially announced this decision on 5 September. It emphasised that Somaliland’s President Muse Bihi Abdi endorsed the mediation committee’s recommendations. The committee provided advice regarding the upcoming elections and the armed Garhajis militia based in the Ga’an Libaah mountain range. The Ministry promised that authorities would grant an absolute pardon without any conditions to all members who disassociate from the rebellion.
The rebel group responded to the offer. One of its prominent leaders, Abdi Shootali, vehemently refuted the claims mentioned in the ‘pardon press release’. He stated that there had been no discussions between the movement and Somaliland authorities. “The movement will stay as it is, committed to its goals. No elder can change the position of the movement,” Abdi Shootali assured.
