What is happening in Laascaanood?

Safiya Warsame, BA International Relations

Laascaanood (pronounced Las Anod), a city located in the north of Somalia, has recently faced a period of intense violence and dispute. e situation in the city has drastically escalated, leaving many concerned about the future of Laascaanood and the safety of its residents.

e roots of the con ict date back to the colonial era, when Laascaanood was considered a part of the former British protectorate. Following Somalia’s independence from Britain, the Somaliland government attempted to regain control of the former British territories and was successful following the battle of Laascaanood in 2007.

Clan a liations hold signi cant importance in Somalia’s politics and social landscape, and they continue to in uence the ongoing con ict over Laascaanood. e neighbouring cities Laascaanood, which are categorised under the Sool region, were considered to be a part of the Puntland state and are primarily inhabited by the Dhulbahante clan, who are historically associated with the Puntland state as well. While Laascaanood consists of a Dhulbahante majority, the city is currently under Somaliland authority, although the majority of its citizens view it to be a part of Somalia and not the Somaliland administration. is is because the city once was a part of Puntland but was captured and occupied by Somaliland authorities following a con ict in 2007, continuing to remain territory disputed by Somaliland and Puntland. Since then, especially a er 2010, tensions in the city have remained high, with periodic outbreaks of violence and protests against the administration following the killings of in uential intellectuals and o cials who belong to the Dhulbahante clan by unidenti ed perpetrators in 2010.

Since December 26th, the citizens of Laascaanood have been united in their outrage following the killing of Abdifatah Hadrawi, an in uential Dhulbahante politician. e killer remains unnamed and unknown; however, citizens feel frustration and anger towards the Somaliland government. Some rumours are being circulated about why these attacks are occurring, including the assumption that the Somaliland authorities are behind these attacks. is has stoked upheaval against the Somaliland government. Citizens also believe that the Somaliland ocials are failing to pursue the culprits of these killings, leading to protests that escalated to ongoing violence and this push toward removing all Somaliland authority gures from the city.

ere have been reports that there was a period when the Somaliland authorities cut o the internet and phone lines in Laascaanood from the rest of the world, leaving those who reside in the city out of communication with the outside world.

e situation in the city is extremely volatile, with ongoing violence and bloodshed. According to recent accounts, deadly clashes have erupted between Somali demonstrators and Somaliland o cials, leaving around 100 people dead, 400 injured, and thousands displaced. ese gures are constantly rising. According to the United Nations, it has been estimated 185,000 people have ed the city and have become displaced as a result of these violent clashes.

e issue has received some attention from international organisations. In a recent tweet, Amnesty Eastern Africa expressed concern over the escalating violence and humanitarian crisis. e organisation stated that they are closely monitoring the situation and are ‘appalled by reports of large numbers of people killed, injured and displaced, and damage to homes and a hospital. Unlawful killings and other violations must end and there must be immediate unhindered access for humanitarian actors.’ e situation continues to unfold and escalate with deepseated divisions and territorial disputes. e violence and instability in the city have raised concerns about the trajectory of Laascaanood, and many are calling for urgent action to address the killings and end Somaliland’s control over the city.

If he did what they say he did, that is a harsh sentence on all the veri cation mechanisms of U.S. intelligence.’ e U.S. approach of funnelling military aid to top Mexican o cials in the hopes of stopping drug tra cking has largely been seen as a strategic failure. García Luna’s lawyers had argued the prosecutors relied on inconsistent narratives from convicted violent criminals, implicating him to get revenge on the man who arrested them. In a bid to lower their U.S. prison sentences, Cesar de Castro, a defence lawyer, portrayed García Luna as a hardworking family man and said his accusers had ‘incredible motives to lie.’ Luna maintains his innocence despite the corruption charges.

Opinion editors: Emily Holdcroft and Naeema Mahmood