Saed Ali

A new chapter in Las Anod history Today (9/14/23), about 60 MPs of the Somali Federal Government from Mogadishu were welcomed to a liberated Las Anod. Las Anod is located between Somaliland and Puntland. It is the historic region where the 19th century Somali patriot resisted the British penetration into the Somali peninsula. Sayyid Mohamed Abdulle Hassan held the Britons at bay for about 20 years. This reagion is symbolic in Africa's wars of resistence. If Menilik of Ethiopia defeated Italy The Sayyid of Somalia put up the longest and fiercest fight anywhere in Africa for over 20 years. The entire Somaliland fall into the hands of Great Britain, thus becoming what was know as British Somaliland Protectorate between the late 1900s upto 1960. Former British Somaliland became independent on June 26, 1960. On July 1, 1960 it "unconditionally" united with the then Former Italian Somaliland forming together the Somali Democratic Republic. In 1992, Somaliland claimed a unilateral secession from Somalia. But Las Anod residents, which later on took up the geopolitical name of SSC, never signed on the "unilateral" secession which was formulated by certain groups that live in Somaliland. Not a single country thus far has recognized the breakaway region. Since 2007, Somaliland subjugated, harassed, and humiliated the civilian population in the region. Since Muse Bihi took office In Hargeisa, he used draconian measures to subjugate La Anod. In December 2022, civil unrest and mass uprising took place in Las Anod and ultimately defeated the well equiped army from Hargeisa. The last fortress established by Somaliland outside Las Anod (Goojacade) was captured by SSC soldiers in this August of 2023. That meant a total liberation for SSC. The visit of 60 MPs from Mogadishu is a new chapter in the REUNIFICATION of Somalia. Perhaps now is the right time for peace talks.

The Fall of Las Anod: Episode II in a Historical Glimpse  Today, on August 25, 2023, once again Las Anod, capital of Sool, Sanag, and Cayn (SSC), fell into the hands of the Khatumo Darwish forces. The capture of Gooja-cade fortress, which represented Somaliland’s military superiority in the region and a guarantor of its occupation of Las Anod since 2007, seems to have given birth to episode II of the fall of Las Anod, only this time it fell back to the sons and daughters of the region. Established as a province or region during the Barre government, SSC is technically located in the center of the Somali Federal Government. It neighbors Puntland, Somali Regional State (Ethiopia), and Somaliland’s Burco to the north. When the East India Company, owned by Britain's bourgeoisie class came to occupy Somali territories, it signed agreements with each Somali clan in what is now called Somaliland. The clan that occupies SSC rejected the offer of the colonial agents at the time. Some postulate that SSC is the most fierce region in adhering to anti-colonial sentiment. The rest of the clans in the region had signed separate and independent agreements with the company and submitted to Britain’s “protection”.  Somalia became a nation state in 1960. Out of what was historically known as British Somaliland and Italian Somaliland, was created the Somali Democratic Republic. The two united within days of each becoming independent of their respective colonial power. “Section 1(a) of the unification article stated that “This State of Somaliland and the State of Somalia do hereby unite and shall forever remain united in a new independent, democratic, unitary republic the name of which shall be the SOMALI REPUBLIC.” As a matter of fact, the search to unite Somalis under one state took shape in the 1940s under the banner of a pan-Somali struggle led by the Somali Youth League (SYL). The popular sentiment to unite the two regions started much earlier than independence days. But the seeds of one Somali nation state was sawn in the 1920s by Sayyid Mohammed Abdule Hassan's war of liberation (1890s-1920s).. The Sayyid was a contemporary of Africa’s notable anti-colonial leaders such as the Mahdi of Sudan, As more Toure of Guinea, and Osaman Danfodio of West Africa before him. Somalias’ history and its search for a nation state therefore started at the same era the Balkan crisis, which was centered around modern nationalism, gave birth to several nation states.  Somaliland officially asked the  British government to unite with Southern portion of Somalia as far back as1959 so the two can merge as soon as possible. Almost 16 years ago, the late President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, chose not to fight over Las Anod and cede it to aggressive Somaliland troops. At that time I wrote an article titled: "The Surprising Fall of Las Anod to Hargeisa." At the Time SSC was disorganized and Yusuf was focused on Mogadishu. In 2023, local forces of SSC liberated Las Anod with gusto  and pushed Somaliland troops about 80 miles back to Buro. Enough of war. It is time for both sides, who are cousins, nieces and nephews to sit down and talk about peace. Mogadishu and the administration of Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud needs to call the world to help him on peace work in this region.