Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre has arrived in Las Anod, Sool region, the capital of the interim SSC-Khatumo state.
Barre and his delegation received a warm welcome from President Abdulkadir Firdhiye, senior officials, and large numbers of local community members.
He was escorted to the state’s presidential palace for meetings with SSC-Khatumo leadership.
During the two-day visit, Barre will meet President Firdhiye, local elders, and civil society groups to get briefed on the region’s situation.
He will also inaugurate completed projects and lay the foundation for new developments in Las Anod.
Reliable sources say the visit aims to urge SSC-Khatumo to speed up its path to becoming an official federal member state.
This marks a major political step for the region and could provoke anger from Somaliland, a breakaway region.
Las Anod was the center of a deadly conflict between Somaliland and SSC-Khatumo, leaving 299 people dead and 1,913 injured.
In 2023, SSC-Khatumo took control of the city, forcing Somaliland to withdraw after being overpowered.
However, the breakaway region called the visit “provocative” and a “serious” threat to regional peace and stability in Somaliland.
