Hargeisa (Kaab TV) – Somaliland President, Muse Bihi Abdi, has insisted that he will not authorise his army to withdraw from the town of Laascaanood in the Sool region following local and international calls for him to pull his forces out of the war ravaged town of Laascaanood.
Recently, there has been growing pressure on the Somaliland authorities to withdraw its troops from Laascaanood in order to resolve the ongoing conflict in the city of Laascaanood.
“Somaliland army is defending the borders authorized by the same Garaad [elder] who is fighting in Laascaanood, and again his uncle signed during the Burco conference,” said President Bihi in a speech at a mosque in Hargeisa on Friday where he joined members of the public in the Eid prayer.
Muse Bihi claimed that more than 12 times the Somaliland army in Lasanood came under attacked, but “we did not carry out an attack even once. Many people say why we were not attacking. Why? they are still Somaliland,” he continued.
Blaming Puntland
President Bihi once again reiterated his blame on the Puntland state over fueling the conflict in Laascaanood by mobilizing and supporting the local uprising to fight against Somaliland.
“The foreigners who are fueling this conflict, especially Puntland, I am going to tell them stop it. You will never benefit from it. The conflict is not possible,” said President Bihi.
Muse Bihi’s statement came days after the members of the international community called on Somaliland to withdraw its troops from Laascaanood in order to achieve peace and halt the ongoing war.
The SSC forces who are fighting Somaliland as ‘an occupation force’ and their Dhulbahante clan elders have already proposed the withdrawal of Somaliland forces from Laascaanood as a condition for dialogue with Somaliland.