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Somaliland Warns Turkey and Somalia Over Alleged Troop and Weapons Deployment to Las Anod.
The Republic of Somaliland has issued one of its strongest warnings yet, accusing Turkey and Somalia’s federal leadership of preparing a military offensive aimed at destabilizing Somaliland following Israel’s recognition of its sovereignty.
According to Somaliland officials, the Commander of the Turkish Armed Forces stationed at TurkSom has arrived in Las Anod, a move Hargeisa describes as direct interference coordinated with Mogadishu. Somaliland alleges that troops and weapons are being mobilized and transported to the contested town with Turkish logistical support.
President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro did not mince words. He warned that aircraft belonging to Turkey were allegedly ferrying Somali troops and arms into Las Anod, framing the buildup as preparation for an attack on Somaliland territory.
“The Somali government is preparing an offensive against Somaliland,” the president said, adding that Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has openly stated that Somalia and its allies aim to bring Somaliland back under Mogadishu’s authority.
Hargeisa views the developments as a dangerous escalation—one that risks igniting wider instability across the Horn of Africa. President Irro explicitly cautioned international actors against being drawn into what he described as a reckless strategy.
“I warn them not to take part in interfering in Somaliland, or to participate in actions that could cause instability in Somaliland or the Horn of Africa,” he said.
The accusations come as Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre arrived in Las Anod for the inauguration of the leader of the so-called North East State administration—an event Somaliland sees as politically provocative and militarily sensitive.
In Hargeisa’s reading, the pattern is clear: diplomatic pressure failed, symbolic visits followed, and now alleged militarization is underway. Somaliland’s message is equally clear—any attempt to resolve political disputes through force will be met with firm resistance, and those enabling such actions will bear responsibility for the consequences.
What happens next in Las Anod may determine whether the region steps back from the brink—or crosses into a far more dangerous chapter.
