Abdirisakh Khalif Ahmed, the Speaker of Parliament for the self-declared state of Somaliland, resigned on Sunday amidst a prosecution led by the attorney general’s office. He’s being accused of undermining the legitimacy of the self-proclaimed republic.
“I’ve resigned from my roles as the Speaker of the Somaliland Parliament, a member of the House, and a member of the Wadani party,” Khalif announced to the press in the contested town of Las Anod.
Earlier this week, the Security Council expressed concerns about the persistent violence in Las Anod, located in the Sool region of northern Somalia. This ongoing conflict has resulted in a significant number of civilian casualties and has displaced over 150,000 people.
Ahmed welcomed the recent statement from the United Nations Security Council, which called for an immediate withdrawal of the Somaliland security forces and implored all parties to maintain restraint. He added that the leaders of Somaliland would be held accountable for the crisis in Las Anod.
The Speaker expressed his appreciation to the federal government, the Puntland administration, elders, communities, journalists, social media users, and members of the Somaliland Parliament for their support of the people of Las Anod.
A few weeks ago, the Somaliland President sent Khalif to the disputed town of Las Anod to help resolve the longstanding conflict there. However, Khalif openly sided with the traditional elders representing the people of the Sool, Sanaag, and Ayn regions, known collectively as SCC-Khatumo.
Furthermore, Speaker Abdirisakh Khalif Ahmed accused the Somaliland military of bombing and destroying the town, alleging that President Bihi ignored his recommendations for conflict resolution.
Last week, the Attorney General of Somaliland, Abdirahman Jama Hayan, initiated legal proceedings against the Speaker of Somaliland’s House of Representatives, Abdirisaq Khalif Ahmed, accusing him of undermining the existence of the self-declared republic of Somaliland.
Hayan stressed the importance of constitutional matters in legal proceedings, which could potentially lead to penalties. However, he clarified that the current proceedings are not punitive but are based on Article 79 of the Somaliland Constitution.
Abdirisakh Khalif has become one of the high-level officials from Somaliland to join the administration of SCC-Khatumo. All the politicians who have defected from Somaliland originally hail from the Sool, Sanaag, and Ayn regions, collectively known as SCC.
