Escalating Insecurity in Somalia's Las Anod a Cause For Concern

Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, has urged the Somali government to establish an objective, effective, and independent inquiry into the dozens of fatal skirmishes between security personnel and clan members in Las Anod that began on February 5, 2023. The clashes between Somaliland troops and local fighters follow weeks of unrest in the town following the assassination of a local lawmaker by masked gunmen. It was the most recent in a string of killings that have occurred in the area over several years that the authorities have attributed to Al Shabaab fighters.

This recent conflict also coincides with a debate over the future status of lands in eastern Somaliland, where a sizable percentage of inhabitants appear to favour Somalia's unification. Since December 2022, tensions have increased in Las Anod, the disputed Sool region's capital. The area has been a source of contention between Somaliland and Puntland, both of which claim ownership of the territory. Since seizing control of the Sool area from Puntland in 2008, Somaliland has been in charge of it. But there have been several clashes between the two groups in the area.