The Somaliland government has said that prisoners held by Somaliland and the Northeastern administration will be released one day, once a formal agreement is reached on the matter.
Somaliland’s Deputy Minister of Education, Mohamed Muse Haaji Abdi (Galaydh), said that peace and finding a solution to the prisoner issue are among the top priorities of the Somaliland President, and are being handled by the Peace and Conflict Resolution Committee.
“We call on the community to wait for the committee in charge of this matter. Once an agreement is reached, prisoners held by both sides will be released on the same day,” said Galaydh.
The official also called for work on reconciliation and stability, saying that the experience of the peace conferences held in Somaliland has shown the importance of compromise and dialogue. He noted that the Lascaanod war had a profound impact on society, but that coexistence could be achieved in the future if peace and understanding were strengthened.
This statement comes as reports have been circulating in the community in recent days that the Somaliland government is planning to unilaterally release prisoners captured in the Lascaanod war in Hargeisa.
This suspicion has intensified after the reception given to Fahiima Quuje, which has sparked a debate about the possibility of a prisoner exchange. Some people have called for Somaliland to release its prisoners, while others have insisted that the release can only come through a simultaneous exchange between the two sides.
The Somaliland government has made clear its position that the release of prisoners will come through an agreement reached by both sides, and that there will be no prioritization of prisoners held by the two sides.
