Somaliland president orders release of Burao detainees, denies Las Anod prisoner amnesty

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Friday May 16, 2025

Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi Cirro addresses the nation from Hargeisa on May 16, 2025, following protests in Burao that left two people dead and over 40 injured. Irro called for the release of detainees and denied rumours of a planned prisoner amnesty for individuals involved in the Las Anod conflict.

Hargeisa (HOL) — Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi Irro has ordered the release of at least 150 people detained during Thursday’s protests in Burao and directed a formal investigation into the unrest, which left two people dead and more than 40 injured.

The demonstrations erupted over unverified claims circulating on social media that the Somaliland government planned to pardon prisoners captured during last year’s conflict in Las Anod. Protesters blocked roads, burned tires, and clashed with police. Security forces eventually deployed military units to restore order and urged residents to disperse peacefully.

In a public address on Friday, Irro blamed the violence on “fabricated rumours” and misinformation, expressing condolences to the families of the deceased.

“The protests demonstrate to us the dangers of false information,” he said. “I urge the people of Somaliland, especially residents of Burao, to avoid spreading or acting on unverified claims.”

The unrest followed viral reports—denied by the government—that prisoners from the Las Anod conflict would be included in the annual May 18 presidential amnesty, which coincides with Somaliland’s self-declared Independence Day. The Interior Ministry rejected the claims, stating that pardons would apply only to inmates convicted of minor offences.

“These reports are baseless,” Interior Minister Abdalle Mohamed Arab, also known as Sandheere, said Thursday. “The people being pardoned are not those who participated in the war.”

He warned that false information was being used to incite unrest and directed security agencies to take “clear and firm measures” against individuals spreading unverified claims.

Protesters in Burao voiced concerns that Somaliland was planning to release its detainees without securing the return of citizens allegedly held in Las Anod by SSC-Khaatumo forces. “No prisoners should be freed until ours are brought back,” one protester told local media.

President Iirro confirmed that a delegation of ministers and senior officials had been dispatched to Burao on Thursday night to assess the situation. He instructed authorities to identify and investigate those behind the protests and the spread of misinformation.

The decision to release those arrested during the demonstration came after negotiations between regional security officials in Togdheer and community elders in Burao. Authorities said the release was aimed at de-escalating tensions in the city.

The events in Burao also follow internal political debate within Somaliland’s leadership on how to handle the prisoner issue. Saleebaan Mahmuud Adan, Speaker of the House of Elders, recently proposed releasing all prisoners but opposed negotiating directly with SSC-Khaatumo. He suggested involving elders from Ethiopia’s Somali region to mediate any future exchanges.

The conflict in Las Anod, which began in early 2023, has displaced tens of thousands of civilians and remains one of the most volatile flashpoints in the region. SSC-Khaatumo, which claims to represent the Sool, Sanaag, and Cayn regions, has called for mutual prisoner exchanges and demands equal-status negotiations with Somaliland. Both sides have accused each other of holding detainees without due process.

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