Wednesday 30, April 2025 {HMC} Puntland and Somaliland authorities on Wednesday carried out a prisoner exchange involving combatants captured during the 2023 conflict in the contested Sool region.
Puntland’s Minister of Justice, Mohamed Abdi Wahaab, told local media that Puntland handed over 15 prisoners to Somaliland, while Somaliland released 11 Puntland-affiliated prisoners in return.
“Today, we handed over to the Somaliland government 15 prisoners who were captured during the fighting in the Sool region in 2023. Somaliland, on its part, handed over to the Puntland government 11 prisoners who were previously captured during those fighting,” the minister said.
Wahaab described the exchange as a significant confidence-building step toward restoring peaceful relations between the two sides.
“This is a positive step toward peace and cooperation. It is heartening that Somali youths who have been held for two years are now free and reunited with their families,” he added.
This is the second known prisoner swap involving individuals captured during the violent clashes in Las Anod, which erupted in early 2023 after residents rejected Somaliland’s administration and aligned with the self-declared SSC-Khaatumo administration.
The SSC-Khaatumo administration has not issued a public statement on the latest exchange. Notably, none of the prisoners released by Somaliland were reportedly from SSC-Khaatumo, raising questions about the status of detainees affiliated with the group.
The conflict in Las Anod and surrounding areas has displaced thousands and left deep political and social divisions across the Sool, Sanaag, and Cayn regions.
