This dyad belongs to the conflict Somalia: Somaliland
Summary of conflict Somalia: Somaliland
Armed hostilities between the Republic of Somaliland and Puntland State of Somalia began to flare more than two decades ago, as both parties claimed Sool and Sanaag regions as their territory. At the time, Somalia’s now semi-autonomous region of Puntland was not seen as a state actor according to the UCDP’s definitions. However, when Puntland in 2012 officially became a member state of the Federal Republic of Somalia, the non-state conflict between Somaliland and Puntland turned state-based. The state-based conflict did not become active until 2018, when it reached the threshold of 25 battle-related deaths.
In January 2018, heavy fighting broke out as Somaliland forces captured the Puntland controlled town of Tukaraq in Sool region. The clashes erupted as Somalia’s president Farmajo had just embarked on his first tour of Puntland. In May, clashes in Tukaraq resumed and this time the fighting was even more intense, killing close to 100 people. Throughout the rest of the year, sporadic clashes occurred and the rhetoric remained harsh, with both Puntland and Somaliland officials stating that they were prepared to wage a long-running war against each other. In December, an EU-delegation met with Somaliland’s President Abdi in order to discuss the possibility of future talks between Somaliland and the Federal Government of Somalia.
The origins of conflict between the Federal Government of Somalia and the Republic of Somaliland can be traced back all the way to the colonial era. The Republic of Somaliland, self-proclaimed as independent from Somalia in 1991, lays claim to all of the territory that had been part of the British protectorate of Somaliland between 1884 and 1960. This claim includes the regions of Sool and Sanaag; two regions that were included in the territory of Somaliland when it was first given independence by the British in 1960. Five days after independence in 1960 Somaliland however joined the rest of Somalia to form a united country. The regions of Sool and Sanaag are also claimed by the now semi-autonomous Somali administration of Puntland, formed in 1998. Puntland lays claim to these areas on demographic grounds, with Sool and Sanaag having large populations of Warsangeli and Dhulbahante clan members within their borders.
