Somalia Cabinet Ministers Move to Las Anod to Tighten Federal Control
Somali Report – A high-level delegation from Somalia’s federal government has arrived in Las Anod, marking a significant consolidation of federal authority in the city ahead of an expected visit by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud later this week.
The delegation includes the Second Deputy Speaker of the Upper House, Abdullahi Ali Hersi, Internal Security Minister Abdullahi Sheikh Ismail “Fartaag,” Energy and Water Minister Abdullahi Bidhan Warsame, Defence Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi, Interior Minister Ali Yusuf Ali, and Somali Police Force Commander Asad Osman Abdullahi.
Their arrival follows the deployment of federal security forces to Las Anod two days earlier, tasked with securing the city and overseeing preparations for the President’s visit.
President Mohamud is expected to attend the formal inauguration of Northeast State President Abdulkadir Ahmed Aw-Ali, an event widely viewed as a milestone in the region’s political transition and Somalia’s broader federalisation process.
The new administration governs parts of the Sool and Sanaag regions—territories that were part of British Somaliland during the colonial era.
Somaliland, which is seeking international recognition as an independent state, continues to claim the areas. However, local communities have rejected separatism and opted to remain within the Federal Republic of Somalia.
Mogadishu’s expanded presence in Las Anod is widely seen as a strategic move to reinforce federal authority, project national unity, and assert Somalia’s sovereignty amid ongoing territorial and political disputes.