Hargeisa (SLpost) — The Government of the Republic of Somaliland has dismissed reports circulating on social media claiming that it has released detainees from Las Anod, describing the information as false and urging the public to rely on official government statements.
Speaking to the media on Monday, Somaliland’s Minister of Information, Culture and Awareness, Barkhad Jama Batun, said no prisoners from Las Anod had been released from Somaliland’s prisons at this time. He called on citizens to disregard what he described as misinformation intended to undermine national unity.
“We call on the people of Somaliland not to be misled by statements from individuals who do not wish Somaliland well and to ignore information that seeks to weaken the country’s unity,” Batun said.
The minister stressed that the administration of President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi (Irro) remains committed to pursuing a peaceful approach to resolving the situation in the Sool region through dialogue and reconciliation.
According to Batun, the government’s policy is to address the issues surrounding Sool through peaceful negotiations while working toward solutions to the grievances that have been raised. He added that the issue of detainees remains under the authority of the Somaliland government and will be handled within the framework of its official policy.
“The President’s policy is to address the situation in the Sool region through peaceful dialogue and to seek solutions to the existing grievances. The matter of detainees is the responsibility of the government, and our policy on this issue is clear,” he said.
Speculation over the reported release of detainees intensified after a man who identified himself as one of the alleged released prisoners appeared in videos circulated on social media on Sunday night. The footage fueled widespread discussion and raised questions about whether a prisoner exchange or unilateral release had taken place.
However, the Somaliland government has firmly denied that any detainees from Las Anod have been released, maintaining that the reports are false and urging the public to rely on official information. No independent verification has confirmed the claims made in the videos.
The Somaliland government has reiterated its commitment to dialogue as the preferred path toward achieving lasting peace and stability in the Sool region, while encouraging the public to verify information through official channels rather than unverified online reports.
Reporting by Somalilandpost News
