Somali President Urges Unity, Stability After Meeting Northeastern Elders in Las Anod

Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026

LAS ANOD, Somalia — President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud convened a high-level, closed-door consultation Friday night with traditional elders from the Northeastern State, urging them to anchor reconciliation and grassroots security as the federal government moves to consolidate authority in the long-contested region.

The meeting in Las Anod — part of the president’s landmark visit to the city — centered on reconciliation, security and the consolidation of the state-building process after years of conflict and political uncertainty. Officials framed the talks as an essential step in building local consensus behind a newly established regional administration.

“Traditional elders are the primary custodians of peace,” Hassan Sheikh said, calling on elders to prevent internal disputes and promote togetherness among communities. He said unity and social solidarity are the foundations of effective governance and sustainable development, and that political progress is impossible without them.

The president encouraged elders to lead community-level reconciliation and help rebuild trust, describing their guidance as critical to the success of the regional administration now taking shape in the Northeastern State. He underscored that maintaining cohesion at the local level is key to stability and to advancing the wider federal agenda.

Elders welcomed the president’s visit and expressed gratitude for the federal government’s recognition and support of their regional administration. They reaffirmed their commitment to Somalia’s federal system and pledged to work closely with the government to maintain peace and stability across the region.

They also said they are prepared to play an active role in mediation, reconciliation and conflict prevention, vowing to help make the Northeastern State a model of stability and cooperation. Their statements aligned with the government’s emphasis on inclusive dialogue and the primacy of local leadership in resolving disputes.

The session underscored the federal government’s strategy of rooting state-building in local consensus, particularly in areas emerging from conflict. By engaging directly with traditional elders in Las Anod, Hassan Sheikh signaled his administration’s reliance on grassroots legitimacy and bottom-up peacebuilding to sustain gains on the ground.

The consultations come as Mogadishu seeks to consolidate authority in the Northeastern State, which encompasses Sool, Sanaag and Cayn, and to reduce tensions in an area long contested between Mogadishu and North Western State of Somalia. Officials said continued engagement with traditional leaders is expected as the regional administration advances its mandate and communities work to stabilize local governance.

By Ali Musa

Axadle Times international–Monitoring.