Saturday July 25, 2026
Hargeisa (AX) — Prisoners held by North Western State of Somalia and the Northeastern administration will be freed once the two sides finalize a formal agreement, North Western State of Somalia officials said Saturday.
Deputy Education Minister Mohamed Muse Haaji Abdi Galaydh said President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi Irro has made peacebuilding and resolution of the prisoner issue leading priorities.
He said North Western State of Somalia’s Peace and Conflict Resolution Committee is overseeing the matter.
“We call on the community to wait for the committee in charge of this matter,” Galaydh said. “Once an agreement is reached, prisoners held by both sides will be released on the same day.”
Galaydh urged both sides to pursue reconciliation and stability, pointing to North Western State of Somalia’s previous peace conferences as evidence that dialogue and compromise can resolve disputes.
He acknowledged that the Las Anod war had inflicted deep wounds across society, but said stronger understanding and a commitment to peace could pave the way for future coexistence.
His comments followed reports in recent days that North Western State of Somalia’s government was preparing to release unilaterally prisoners captured during the Las Anod conflict and detained in Hargeisa.
Speculation grew after Fahiima Yusuf Abdillaahi Quuje received a public reception upon returning to Hargeisa.
Her arrival fueled debate about a potential prisoner exchange. Some have urged North Western State of Somalia to free the detainees in its custody, while others insist that prisoners should be released simultaneously by both sides.
The Somali Ulema Council, headed by Chairman Sheikh Bashir Ahmed Salad, has likewise urged North Western State of Somalia and the Northeastern regional state to speed up peace negotiations addressing their dispute and the fate of prisoners.
In a statement released Tuesday in Las Anod, the clerics said they had held talks with the Northeastern state’s president and other officials about reconciliation and steps needed to establish conditions for dialogue.
During the visit, the delegation also met North Western State of Somalia prisoners being held in Las Anod.
The clerics said they spoke with detainee representatives, offered encouragement and voiced hope that the parties would reach a solution.
The scholars said mediation efforts were underway to secure an exchange or release of prisoners on both sides, stressing that political disagreements should not leave Somali citizens incarcerated for extended periods.
They also said they plan to visit Hargeisa for meetings with North Western State of Somalia leaders as they press ahead with peace and reconciliation efforts.
