UCDP

General information

Type of Incompatibility: Territory
Comment on Type of Incompatibility: The incompatibility between the Government of Somalia and the Republic of Somaliland concerns territory, more specifically the regions of Sool and Sanaag, located between Somaliland and the Somali state of Puntland in northern Somalia. Somaliland’s claim is based on the boundaries of the British Protectorate that it was part of between 1884 and 1960, whereas Puntland lays claim to these areas on demographic grounds as Sool and Sanaag have large populations of Warsangeli and Dhulbahante clan members within their borders.
Territory: Somaliland

Date of first stated goal of incompatibility: 1998-07-25
Comment on date of first stated goals of incompatibility: According to the UCDP definitions, Puntland State of Somalia was not treated as a state actor until 2012, when Puntland officially became a member state of the Federal Republic of Somalia. Since then, Puntland State of Somalia is seen as the Government of Somalia. The state-based conflict between the Government of Somalia and the Republic of Somaliland is thus a continuation of the former non-state conflict between Somaliland and Puntland. Even though the state-based conflict did not become active until 2018, the first stated goal of incompatibility in the conflict can be traced back to 1998, when the then autonomous region Puntland State of Somalia was established and laid claim on Sool and Sanaag regions on the basis of ethincity. On July 25 1998, Muhammad Ibrahim Egal, the then President of Somaliland, stated that the Puntland administration by no means could extend into Somaliland territory. Egal further stated that the borders of the Somaliland territory were the same as those of the former British Somaliland Protectorate, including Sanaag and Sool regions, which Somaliland had claimed since 1991 when it declared itself independent from Somalia.

During the following years, sporadic clashes took place in and around Sool and Sanaag region and in 2002, Somaliland’s President Dahir Riyale Kahin made his first visit to the disputed town of Las Anod. Leaders of the Puntland administration stated that they opposed his visit on what they considered their territory and the Deputy Interior Minister of Puntland Ahmed Aden said that “we are fighting for the unity of Somalia”.

On October 6 2007, Somaliland’s defense minister Abdullahi Ali Ibrahim claimed that Somaliland troops had seized Las Anod and that the ultimate goal was to close the Somaliland border by peace or war.

In 2018, tensions arose again as Somaliland captured Tukaraq, a strategically located village in Sool region held by Puntland forces. As a result, the Puntland administration declared war against Somaliland following a meeting in Garowe and promised to retake all “occupied areas”. Puntland’s interior minister Abdullahi Ali Hersi stated to the media that “we have received instruction from the president of Puntland to wage liberation war”.

Date of first use of armed force: 2017-07-18

Date of first battle related death: 2016-07-18
Comment on first battle related death: On 18 July 2016, at least five soldiers were killed as Somaliland and Puntland troops clashed in northern Sanaag region, amidst a Somaliland voter registration exercise.

Date of conflict reached 25 battle releated deaths: 2018-05-15
Comment on conflict reached 25 battle releated deaths: In 2018, heavy clashes between Somaliland and Puntland (i.e. the Government of Somalia) broke out as Somaliland forces captured the town of Tukaraq in January. Reports stated that dozens of soldiers were killed in the clash, dozens coded as 24 deaths according to the UCDP coding rules. Thus, the dyad did not reach the 25 battle-related deaths threshold until 15 May 2018 when renewed clashes in Tukaraq killed at least another 48 people.

Annual information

This section contains annual information systematically collected by the UCDP.