The leader of the Northeastern Somali region, Abdikadir Aw Ali Firdhiye, has said that if elected, he will take back the city of Erigavo, the capital of Sanaag region.
Firdhiye, who is running for president of the Northeastern region, has said that if re-elected, he will take over the city of Erigavo from Somaliland and have it controlled by Somaliland.
“My plan includes the return of our lost territory, starting with our beautiful city of Erigavo,” said the Firdhiye leader.
Firdhiye has said several times in the past that preparations need to be made for a battle in Erigavo, which he said was important for his administration, calling on the people to raise funds to finance the battle.
The statement by the Firdhiye leader comes as the Somaliland government has set up a peace platform in Erigavo, in order to find a comprehensive solution to the conflict between some clans, and to return thousands of families who have already fled the city.
A recent federally-backed conference in Lascaanod announced the creation of a new administration for northeastern Somalia, which will reportedly include the Sool, Sanaag, and Togdheer regions, parts of which are currently controlled by Somaliland.
The new administration has been met with opposition from Somaliland and Puntland, each of which claims the area where the administration was established as its own, and has been openly opposed in successive press releases by the parties.
Therefore, it is possible that new fighting will break out between the parties after Firdhiye’s speech, as there is no peace agreement between them, and they still hold prisoners.
