Somalia’s Northeastern State parliament passed a resolution on July 26, 2026, calling on the government to prosecute officers and soldiers held since the 2023 Gooja’adde fighting who face allegations of human rights violations.
The move matters because it is the first formal push by lawmakers to force court action on detainees who have been held for nearly three years without trial, and it lands amid heightened friction between Somaliland and the Northeastern administration over Sool’s contested territory.
Lawmakers said the resolution was grounded in parliament’s constitutional duty to uphold justice, the rule of law and human rights. The House called on the government to bring all accused promptly before competent courts.
The statement did not name individuals but called for expedited trials for those held in administrative custody over alleged crimes against the Northeastern administration and its people.
Lawmakers stressed that any proceedings must be fair and transparent, and that detainees’ legal rights be respected throughout.
The detainees, Somaliland officials and soldiers, were captured during the August 2023 battle at Gooja’adde base on the outskirts of Las Anod, a turning point in the conflict that saw SSC-Khatumo forces overrun Somaliland positions and capture significant numbers of troops. They have since been held in Northeastern-run prisons.
Somaliland has previously described its withdrawal from Gooja’adde as a “strategic” repositioning rather than a defeat, [Indirect Quote — Somaliland Ministry of Defence, paraphrased from earlier statements].
The resolution follows a tense month in the region’s politics. Earlier in July, the Northeastern State parliament stripped six lawmakers of their immunity after they resigned and returned to Somaliland, underscoring ongoing defections and loyalty disputes tied to the Sool-Sanaag dispute.
The Northeastern administration, formed from the SSC-Khatumo movement following the Gooja’adde victory, continues to assert control over areas claimed by both Somaliland and Puntland.
