Somaliland house of representatives Speaker resigns Over LasAnod Conflict

Somaliland House of Representatives Speaker, Abdirizak Khalif, has tendered his official resignation from his position as Speaker and his membership with the Waddani party. Khalif cited the ongoing volatile situation in LasAnod, marked by armed conflicts between Somaliland security forces and armed militia in recent months, as the primary motivation behind his decision.

Khalif held the administration led by President Bihi responsible for the casualties, injuries, and displacement resulting from the actions of Somaliland security forces since the outset of the conflict earlier this year. He vehemently denied the government’s assertion that terrorist individuals were involved in the fighting alongside local militia.

Expressing support for the recent communiqué released by the United Nations Security Council, which addressed the LasAnod conflict, Khalif criticized the response of the Somaliland government for accusing the UN of being misinformed.

However, Khalif’s resignation came shortly after the Somaliland Attorney General filed a lawsuit against him, seeking his dismissal from the Supreme Court. The lawsuit alleges that Khalif undermined the sovereignty and unity of the people of Somaliland and claims that he failed to attend 20 parliamentary sessions without providing a valid excuse.