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SSC Khaatumo leader vows to reclaim Erigavo from Somaliland control
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    Monday January 13, 2025


    SSC Khaatumo leader Abdikhkhadir Ahmed Aw-Ali Firdhiye addressing key issues during a recent press conference, emphasizing the need for unity and action in reclaiming contested territories.

    Mogadishu (HOL) — The leader of the SSC Khaatumo administration, Abdikhkhadir Ahmed Aw-Ali Firdhiye, has urged his community to prepare for a campaign aimed at reclaiming the city of Erigavo from Somaliland control. Speaking at an event marking the SSC Khaatumo administration's anniversary over the weekend, he insisted that the celebration remains incomplete until Erigavo is "back in our hands.

    "Tonight, I'm calling on all SSC members, wherever they may be, to prepare for the day we reclaim Erigavo and the greater Sanaag region. We will not stand by while any part of our land remains under foreign control," Firdhiye said.

    He added that Somaliland forces had displaced parts of the population of Erigavo and caused damage to their property, which the SSC Khaatumo administration would not tolerate.

    Firdhiye threatened that they would wrest Erigavo from Somaliland, much like they had done with Las Anod, stating that they were already implementing plans to seize the city.

    "I call on the people of SSC, both inside and outside the country, wherever they are, to understand that the struggle is not over. There is much more to be done. We must rally together to complete the struggle we have begun for our country and our destiny. We are already on the path to executing our plans," he added.

    SSC Khaatumo forces briefly entered Ceerigaabo in late December but were expelled following clashes with Somaliland troops. According to local reports, the violence forced thousands of residents to flee. 

    Humanitarian agencies say the displacement caused by ongoing violence in Sool, Sanaag, and Cayn strains scarce resources, including medical care and access to clean water. According to the Norwegian Refugee Council, escalating clashes also disrupt trade routes vital to local economies, which depend on livestock markets and cross-border commerce.

    Firdhiye accused Somaliland forces of targeting and displacing Erigavo residents and destroying their property, calling such actions intolerable. He stressed that SSC Khaatumo's objective mirrors its takeover of Laascaanood—another city previously contested between the two sides.

    The Sool, Sanaag, and Cayn regions are a long-standing flashpoint in Somalia's complex political landscape. Somaliland, which declared independence from the rest of Somalia in 1991, cites colonial-era borders as the basis for its claim to these regions. However, SSC Khaatumo leaders argue they have been sidelined by Somaliland and have a right to autonomous governance.

    Research from the International Crisis Group indicates that clan affiliations and historical grievances continue to influence loyalties in these territories. Firdhiye, echoing local elders, maintains that only a regionally driven solution will settle the dispute.

     





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