Somalia’s President urges unity to restore peace in the breakaway region of Somaliland amidst rising tensions

Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has said the country is working to restore peace in its northern breakaway region of Somaliland after violence broke out following the announcement of the intention to rejoin Somalia. Tensions have been rising between the region’s authorities and local clan forces. More than 185,000 people were displaced and at least 80 people were killed during the fighting. Mohamud stated that unity was the only solution and that the Somali government does not want this unity through violence, which could make matters worse. In a wide-ranging interview with Al Jazeera, Mohamud talked about the state’s fight against the al-Shabab armed group, a sweeping drought in the country, and gender violence. He declared an “all-out war” against al-Shabab in August 2022 and called on the US army, African Union (AU) forces, and local assistance to support Somalia’s army. The country has since regained swaths of territory from the armed group. The threat of famine is also looming in Somalia, with climate experts and humanitarian workers warning that the country’s current trends are worse than those in 2011 when a quarter of a million people died due to famine. Mohamud acknowledged the issue of gender violence by Somali forces and stated that the country is going after the perpetrators.