The repeated delays underscore deep divisions among community leaders, traditional elders, and political figures regarding the conference’s agenda, participant representation, and the Federal Government of Somalia’s involvement.
A critical conference intended to finalize the structure of the SSC-Khaatumo regional administration, initially planned for Thursday, July 10, in Laascaanood, was rescheduled to Saturday, July 12, but has now been postponed again due to escalating political disputes. The repeated delays underscore deep divisions among community leaders, traditional elders, and political figures regarding the conference’s agenda, participant representation, and the Federal Government of Somalia’s involvement.
Sultan Said Sultan Abdisalaam, the highest-ranking traditional elder of the Sanaag region, announced last night that his region would not send representatives to the Laascaanood conference, declaring its outcomes irrelevant to Sanaag. He urged the Federal Government to refrain from interfering in regional affairs, warning against actions that could spark further instability.
Garaad Jama Garaad Ali, the supreme traditional leader of SSC-Khaatumo, criticized the conference, alleging it was derailed by an externally imposed agenda. He argued that the event should have been led by the communities that initially established SSC-Khaatumo, rather than serving external interests. Similarly, presidential candidate Abdirisaaq Khaliif and others opposed the conference, insisting that a prior meeting of the founding communities should take precedence to ensure a consensus-driven process.
The SSC-Khaatumo administration’s current term is set to end in August 2025, but ongoing disputes make it unlikely that elections can be held in the remaining time. Tensions are exacerbated by the Federal Government’s involvement, with Somalia’s Minister of Interior, Ali Yusuf Ali, dispatched to open the conference, and earlier visits by Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre, who recognized SSC-Khaatumo as a federal member state in April 2025.
The Sool region have long been contested, with violent clashes in 2023 between local communities and Somaliland forces, who controlled Laascaanood from 2007 after displacing Puntland. In February 2023, traditional elders from Sool and Buuhoodle (Cayn) declared SSC-Khaatumo an autonomous administration under the Federal Government, a move rooted in their resistance to Somaliland’s claims.
Analysts suggest the current discord is tied to political maneuvering ahead of Somalia’s 2026 elections, with Laascaanood’s strategic importance heightened by past mismanagement of parliamentary elections in 2022 by regional leaders. As factions vie for control, the conference’s postponement underscores the challenges of establishing a unified SSC-Khaatumo administration amid competing regional and federal interests.
