Puntland, Somaliland agree to cooperate on Security and counterterrorism After Nairobi talks

Puntland, a federal member state of Somalia, and Somaliland, a self-declared independent state that has maintained self-rule since 1991, have agreed to cooperate on security and counterterrorism, among other areas, following two days of talks in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.

According to a joint communiqué, senior representatives from both Puntland and Somaliland, including ministers, senior security officials, and high-level delegates, participated in the meetings.

The statement said the “historic meeting” provided a platform for both delegations to “discuss the overall security, economic, and political situation in the Horn of Africa, with particular focus on shared interests between the two sides.”

Both parties praised growing cooperation between their respective security institutions, including recent prisoner exchanges. Somaliland “praised Puntland for the peace, progress, and achievements in the fight against terrorism,” while Puntland “welcomed the progress Somaliland has made in governance and reaffirmed its recognition of Somaliland’s right to self-determination,” according to the communiqué.

They agreed to deepen coordination on regional security, pledging “to cooperate closely in combating terrorism, including threats posed by Al-Shabaab, ISIS, and any groups or individuals engaged in terrorist activities along their shared borders.” The statement also committed both sides to joint efforts against maritime and organized crime that threaten their “mutual security and economic interests.”

The communiqué further highlighted shared goals, including “achieving lasting peace in Ceerigaabo and its surrounding areas,” facilitating the safe return of displaced persons, and expanding trade and cross-border movement. Both sides endorsed plans for continued cooperation and “rejected the politicization of civil aviation management or any actions that compromise the safety and integrity of civilian airspace.”

Somaliland’s Minister of Defense, Mohamed Yusuf, told the BBC Somali Service that the “agreement reflects the security realities of the Horn of Africa.”

When asked about the recently established Northeastern (NE) Administration based in Las Anod, now recognized by the Federal Government of Somalia as a federal member state, Minister Yusuf responded: “Somaliland is built upon the borders established by the British (colonial border between Italian and British Somaliland), Puntland is an administration that belongs to the Federal Government of Somalia. We are abolishing the borders that were created [Northeast], which they do not recognize, and we do not recognize either. This is the area where both local and international enemies will be cleared out, and we will cooperate in doing so.”

However, shortly after the interview, Puntland’s Minister of Interior, Abid Farah Juxa, who also took part in the Nairobi meeting, denied that the Las Anod issue had been discussed.

“We discussed combating terrorism, peace in Ceerigaabo, movement and trade, the issue of Laascaanood was not part of our discussion,” Juxa said. “We are fighting Islamic state (IS) in Calmiskaad, while Alshabaab is in Calmadow, and that is on the Somaliland side.”

Somalia’s former Minister of Planning Gamal Hassan, who also ran for president in the recent NE elections and hails from the Sanaag region, criticized the agreement.

“It is important to clarify that Puntland and Somaliland do not share any formal borders, nor do they have any legally recognized territory over which they can jointly deliberate matters of security, politics, or economics,” Hassan said. “The land and its inhabitants fall under the jurisdiction of the Northeastern Administration, which bears full responsibility for safeguarding its security, managing its borders, and overseeing its political affairs.”

The NE Administration emerged following clashes between Somaliland forces and local clan militias in Las Anod, which resulted in Somaliland’s forces being expelled from the city. Backed politically by the Federal Government of Somalia, a new local administration gradually formed and was later recognized as a federal member state.

Since the establishment of the NE Administration, both Puntland and Somaliland have repeatedly stated that they do not recognize it. Somaliland, in particular, has accused the Federal Government of Somalia of internal interference, insisting that its territorial borders are based on those of the former British Somaliland. Based on these colonial-era border claim, Somaliland claims full sovereignty over the Sool and Sanaag regions.

Puntland, however, maintains a related but distinct position. As an autonomous member of Somalia’s federal system, it claims administrative authority over the Sanaag region.

In July this year, Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni addressed the issue of the NE Administration: “Puntland’s local elections were held in the Sanaag region, and all districts in the region participated in the voting process. The residents of Sanaag who identify as part of Puntland have their political authority within the Puntland administration and are free to make their own decisions. They have chosen to safeguard and preserve the administration they helped to establish,” Deni said. “If, however, you (NE) has chosen to form a separate administration, my message is this: remain committed to that path and cease the interference currently taking place in Sanaag.”

The newly formed administration governing Las Anod also claims territories extending as far as the Cayn region. These overlapping territorial claims, compounded by clan dynamics, remain unresolved and continue to fuel uncertainty over the long-disputed Sool and Sanaag regions.

The recent agreement between Puntland and Somaliland introduces a new dimension to these long-standing territorial disputes. While the precise mechanisms and implementation details, especially concerning the contested regions, remain unclear, the deal represents a notable shift in strategy for both parties. Significantly, it is the first time that Somaliland has entered into a formal agreement with a Somali federal member state, suggesting a potential change in its approach to engaging with federal member states. This signals a change in how Somaliland deals with federal member states, after repeated failures in talks between Somaliland and the federal government in Mogadishu.