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SSC-Khaatumo state finalization conference postponed amid political dispute


Friday July 11, 2025

Las Anod — A high-level conference to finalize the newly recognized SSC-Khaatumo administration, originally scheduled to open Thursday in Las Anod, has been postponed until Saturday amid rising political tensions between SSC-Khaatumo leadership and opposition candidates.

According to sources familiar with the situation, the postponement followed a confrontation early Thursday morning when opposition-aligned candidates reportedly deployed troops and military vehicles to the hotel venue where the conference was set to begin. The incident disrupted preparations and raised concerns about security, prompting organizers to delay the event.

Traditional elders from the SSC-Khaatumo community are said to have played a key role in the decision to postpone, seeking to defuse the tension and create space for dialogue between rival factions.

The political standoff stems from growing frustration among several presidential candidates, who held a press conference Wednesday to voice their grievances. They accused interim SSC-Khaatumo President Abdikhadar Ahmed Aw-Cali Firdhiye of manipulating the process and excluding legitimate clan representatives, particularly from the Warsangeli community.

“This conference is not inclusive and does not reflect the true representation of our communities,” said Mohamed Abdi Ismail Shiine, the region’s current vice president and a presidential candidate. He alleged that the conference had been hijacked to serve personal political ambitions.

In response to the unfolding situation, Somalia’s Minister of Interior, Ali Yusuf Ali Hosh (Xoosh), who is leading the federal government delegation to Las Anod, is expected to hold mediation talks with the SSC-Khaatumo president and opposition candidates in a bid to resolve the deadlock.

The conference is intended to transition the SSC-Khaatumo administration from an interim authority to a fully functioning regional government. The state was officially recognized as a federal member state by the Somali Federal Government earlier this year, following months of armed conflict with Somaliland forces and shifting political dynamics in northern Somalia.




 





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