Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre arrived in Las Anod today, triggering an immediate and sharp response from Somaliland authorities who condemned the visit as an infringement on their territorial claims. Las Anod, located in the eastern Sool region, has remained a deeply contested city since Somaliland lost control of it to a local Dhulbahante-led uprising in August 2023. The Prime Minister’s high-profile visit is likely to inflame an already fragile situation, raising concerns that his motivations are less about national unity and more about political survival.
Hamza Barre’s arrival comes at a precarious moment for Somalia. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, whose administration has been steadily losing ground to the Al-Shabab insurgency, recently called for a national political conference to address the dire state of affairs. Yet Hamza Barre’s move to Las Anod appears deliberately calibrated to undermine the president’s initiative, drawing attention away from the failing military campaign and toward a fabricated narrative of nationalism and anti-secessionist posturing.
The Prime Minister’s timing is no coincidence. With Al-Shabab rapidly gaining territory and approaching the outskirts of Mogadishu, the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) finds itself more vulnerable than at any point since 2022. Militants have reclaimed key areas in the Middle and Lower Shabelle regions, while the Somali National Army (SNA) appears overstretched and under-equipped. For Barre, whose role has largely been overshadowed by the president’s centralized approach to governance, the visit to Las Anod serves as a bold political maneuver to reassert relevance.
A Strategic and Symbolic Battlefield
Las Anod is more than a symbolic battlefield. It sits at the heart of a strategic rivalry between Puntland and Somaliland, both of whom lay historical and political claims to the city and the wider Sool region. The fact that 17 Members of Parliament in Puntland’s legislature, as well as the Vice President of Puntland, hail from Las Anod highlights the stakes. Hamza Barre’s presence in the city risks reigniting tensions with Puntland at a time when relations between Garowe and Mogadishu are already in tatters.
Puntland officially severed ties with the FGS following the unilateral adoption of a new federal constitution by Mogadishu on 31 March 2024—an act it deemed illegitimate. Since then, Puntland has distanced itself from federal proceedings and refused to recognize the political authority of Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s government. Hamza Barre’s visit to Las Anod can be read not merely as a provocation to Somaliland, but as a direct challenge to Puntland’s claims and a test of Garowe’s tolerance for federal encroachment.
Meanwhile, the people of Las Anod have not forgotten the cost of their resistance. The 2023 uprising against Somaliland forces resulted in hundreds of casualties, mass displacement, and the withdrawal of Somaliland’s military from the area. The city has since become a tense and militarized environment, administered by local clan elders and militia forces who oppose both Somaliland secessionism and federal neglect. Hamza Barre’s visit could thus alienate local leadership, who have long demanded genuine autonomy and respect for their self-determination rather than political stunts.
There are also clear echoes of Hamza Barre’s previous attempt to weaponize political crisis for self-preservation. In late 2023, when his position was under threat due to escalating security failures, the Prime Minister made headlines by vocally supporting Hamas during the Israel-Gaza conflict. While this earned him popular applause in some quarters, critics viewed it as a desperate ploy to deflect attention from his inability to govern effectively. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, reportedly pressured by international partners to sack him, refrained from doing so to avoid the appearance of foreign interference.
Sabotaging the Conference for Reconciliation
President Hassan Sheikh’s recent call for a national conference was intended to bring stakeholders together to confront Somalia’s converging crises—from the Al-Shabab insurgency to the collapse of federal consensus. Yet, rather than reinforcing that appeal, Barre has chosen to spotlight the fault lines within the federal structure. His choice to visit one of the most politically sensitive regions in the country, without consensus from key stakeholders like Puntland, undermines the spirit of inclusive dialogue.
Moreover, Hamza Barre’s actions may have unintended diplomatic consequences. Somaliland, though unrecognized internationally, maintains de facto control over much of the northwest and has cultivated ties with foreign actors. The Prime Minister’s visit to Las Anod will almost certainly harden Hargeisa’s position and could further delay any potential resumption of dialogue between the FGS and Somaliland.
Critics argue that the Prime Minister is acting out of political desperation. His authority has steadily eroded amid military setbacks, fiscal shortfalls, and administrative disarray. By invoking national unity and positioning himself as the bulwark against secessionism, Barre seeks to reframe the political discourse around identity and sovereignty, rather than the administration’s actual performance.
