Tuesday August 4, 2026
Hargeisa (HOL) — A delegation of prominent religious leaders from Puntland state has launched a mediation initiative aimed at securing a lasting peace agreement between Somaliland and Northeastern administration.
The group proposed confidence-building measures including prisoner exchanges, troop withdrawals and the reopening of trade and civilian movement.
The delegation was received by Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi Irro, members of Somaliland's Peace Commission, religious scholars and other officials during its visit to Hargeisa.
The scholars also visited prisoners captured during the fighting in Las Anod who are being held in Somaliland custody.
"We thank the President of Somaliland and the people for the honorable and respectful welcome we received," the delegation said. "We met with the leaders and the peace commissions, and we visited the prisoners captured in the Las Anod war. We found them in good condition and in good spirits."
According to the delegation, the peace initiative originated at a meeting of religious scholars in Garowe, where participants agreed to take a more active role in resolving conflicts among Somali communities.
The scholars said they had since held discussions with the leadership of both Puntland and Northeastern administration, who expressed support for efforts to advance reconciliation.
They called for a comprehensive peace process that includes the exchange of detainees, the withdrawal of forces from contested areas and the reopening of roads and trade routes to ease humanitarian and economic pressures on communities affected by the conflict.
The conflict over Las Anod erupted in early 2023, when local forces expelled Somaliland's military from the city after months of fighting that killed hundreds of people and displaced tens of thousands. Since then, Northeastern administration has aligned itself with the Federal Government of Somalia, while Somaliland continues to claim the Sool region as part of its territory.
Somaliland has repeatedly said it is committed to achieving a peaceful settlement with Northeastern administration, while the Federal Government has called for dialogue, the release of prisoners and broader reconciliation efforts to prevent renewed violence in the region.
