Introduction
Prime Minister Hamse Abdi Barre’s recent visit to Laascaano has ignited controversy, with critics alleging that its stated objectives—promoting federal unity and recognizing SSC-Khatumo’s administrative status—mask a deeper, more politically charged agenda. Behind the rhetoric of empowerment lies a two-fold mission: advancing President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s contentious electoral reforms and negotiating the release of Somaliland detainees. This essay dissects the alleged deception, urging SSC-Khatumo leaders and residents to scrutinize federal overtures and prioritize regional sovereignty.

Context: SSC-Khatumo’s Precarious Position
The SSC-Khatumo region (encompassing Sool, Sanaag, and Cayn) has long been a flashpoint in Somalia’s complex territorial disputes. While Somaliland claims the area as part of its self-declared independent state, SSC-Khatumo seeks autonomy under Somalia’s federal system. The Federal Government of Somalia (FGS), led by President Mohamud, has intermittently engaged the region, balancing promises of inclusion with strategic political maneuvers. Against this backdrop, Barre’s visit emerges as a critical test of trust.

The Two-Fold Agenda: Beneath the Surface

1. Electoral Engineering via NIRA:
   The establishment of a National Identification & Registration Agency (NIRA) office in Laascaano, framed as a step toward “one person, one vote” elections, raises red flags. Critics argue that Mohamud’s electoral model risks centralizing power under Mogadishu, using SSC-Khatumo as a testing ground to legitimize federal authority. By positioning the region as a polling station, the FGS may co-opt local governance structures, marginalizing SSC’s autonomy in favour of top-down control.
2. Prisoner Release: A Bargaining Chip?
   Barre’s purported efforts to free Somaliland-linked prisoners in Laascaano suggest backdoor negotiations with Hargeisa. While framed as humanitarian, this move could undermine SSC-Khatumo’s resistance to Somaliland’s territorial claims. Trading detainees for political favors risks normalizing Somaliland’s presence in the region, eroding SSC’s stance against external domination.

The Smokescreen of Federal Recognition
The FGS’s pledge to recognize SSC-Khatumo as a federal administration is lauded as progress. Yet, this gesture lacks substance without enforceable commitments to resource-sharing, security, or self-governance. Historically, Mogadishu’s recognition of regions has often served as a tool to dilute dissent rather than empower. By dangling administrative status, the FGS may seek to co-opt SSC leadership, diverting attention from contentious agendas like electoral reforms and prisoner swaps.

Implications for SSC-Khatumo
The region faces three critical risks:

1. Political Exploitation: SSC-Khatumo could become a pawn in federal-Somaliland negotiations, with its sovereignty bargained away for Mogadishu’s interests.
2. Erosion of Autonomy: NIRA’s presence might enable federal overreach, supplanting local decision-making with centralized electoral controls.
3. Distraction from Priorities: The theatrics of recognition could sideline urgent needs—security, development, and reconciliation—in favor of symbolic federalism.

Conclusion: A Call for SSC-Khatumo’s Vigilance
SSC-Khatumo must approach federal engagements with skepticism. Leaders should demand transparency on NIRA’s role, reject backchannel deals with Somaliland, and insist on binding agreements that guarantee resources and autonomy. Residents must hold both local and federal authorities accountable, resisting hollow symbolism. In a landscape rife with political theatre, SSC-Khatumo’s resilience lies in unity, critical scrutiny, and an unwavering commitment to self-determination. The region’s future must not be scripted by Mogadishu’s deception but shaped by its people’s aspirations.

The recent account of a repairman’s wife denied basic drugs and hygiene supplies after delivering her child at Garowe Government General Hospital is not an isolated tragedy—it is a searing indictment of Puntland’s collapsing healthcare system. This incident, emblematic of systemic neglect, exposes a dire reality: in one of Somalia’s most politically significant regions, mothers and newborns are left vulnerable to preventable suffering, while years of warnings about deteriorating health infrastructure go unheeded. Puntland’s failure to safeguard maternal health is not merely a policy failure; it is a moral crisis demanding immediate redress.

The Garowe Incident: A Microcosm of Systemic Collapse
The ordeal faced by the repairman’s family—a newborn welcomed into the world without access to sterile equipment, pain relief, or postnatal care—illustrates the human cost of Puntland’s healthcare decay. Garowe Government General Hospital, a facility intended to serve as a cornerstone of public health, could not provide even the most rudimentary supplies. This reflects a broader pattern: clinics and hospitals across Puntland frequently lack essential medicines, functional equipment, and trained staff. Maternal health services, which require consistent resources and expertise, are particularly crippled. Stories of women sharing beds, reusing gloves, or paying out-of-pocket for basics like antiseptics are tragically common, underscoring a system in freefall.
Chronic Underfunding and Institutional Apathy

Puntland’s healthcare crisis is rooted in chronic underfunding and misprioritization. Despite its semi-autonomous status and revenue from ports and local taxation, healthcare remains a low budgetary priority. Corruption and mismanagement further divert scarce resources. In 2022, a report by the Heritage Institute for Policy Studies noted that Puntland allocates less than 5% of its annual budget to health—far below the 15% target set by the African Union’s Abuja Declaration. Meanwhile, international aid, often earmarked for specific projects, fails to address systemic gaps due to poor coordination and accountability.
The consequences are stark: maternal mortality rates in Somalia, already among the world’s highest at 692 deaths per 100,000 live births, are likely exacerbated in Puntland due to inaccessible care. Neonatal survival is equally precarious, with preventable infections claiming lives daily.

The Brain Drain and Broken Infrastructure
Compounding these issues is a debilitating exodus of skilled healthcare workers. Doctors and nurses, disillusioned by unpaid salaries and hazardous working conditions, flee to urban centers or abroad. Rural areas bear the brunt: clinics stand empty, and midwives—often the sole lifelines for pregnant women—are overburdened and undersupplied. Even in Garowe, the capital, hospitals rely on erratic donations and the heroism of underpaid staff.

A Legacy of Warnings Ignored
For years, civil society groups, healthcare workers, and international partners have sounded alarms. In 2019, the Puntland Health Professionals Association warned of “imminent collapse” without urgent investment. Local media routinely highlight drug shortages and strikes by unpaid medical staff. Yet the government’s response has been tepid, prioritizing security and political infrastructure over health. This neglect reflects a broader devaluation of women’s lives in policymaking, where maternal health is relegated to an afterthought.
The Path Forward: Accountability and Equity.

Addressing this crisis requires multifaceted action:
• Increased Budgetary Allocation: Puntland must honor its Abuja Declaration commitments, prioritizing healthcare funding and ensuring transparency in expenditure.
• Strengthening Supply Chains: Partnerships with NGOs and UN agencies could stabilize medical supply pipelines, avoiding stockouts of essentials.
• Workforce Investment: Competitive salaries, training programs, and incentives for rural postings can stem the brain drain.
• Community Health Networks: Empowering local midwives and mobile clinics can bridge gaps in remote areas.
• Public Accountability: Civil society and media must hold leaders accountable, transforming healthcare from a political slogan into a tangible right.
Conclusion: A Matter of Life and Death
The repairman’s story is a wake-up call. Each day Puntland delays reform, it sentences mothers and children to unnecessary risk. Healthcare is not a luxury—it is the foundation of human dignity and social stability. As Puntland aspires to position itself as a model of governance in Somalia, it must confront this crisis with the urgency it demands. The lives of its most vulnerable citizens depend on it.
To ignore their suffering is to betray the very notion of governance.

In the intricate tapestry of Somali politics, Prime Minister Hamse Abdi Barre’s high-profile visit to Laascaano—a burgeoning city-state shaped by the influx of SSC-Khatumo residents fleeing poverty and instability—has ignited a flurry of speculation, conspiracy theories, and geopolitical intrigue. The visit, marked by an oversized delegation of ministers, lawmakers, lobbyists, and political brokers, underscores the delicate balancing act between federal authority, regional aspirations, and unresolved historical tensions. Beneath the veneer of photo opportunities and symbolic gestures lie deeper currents of political manoeuvring, contested sovereignty, and the unacknowledged influence of Puntland, Somalia’s oldest federal member state.

Laascaano: A City-State in the Making
Laascaano’s rapid transformation into a quasi-city-state is emblematic of Somalia’s fractured governance and the vacuum left by weak central institutions. Populated largely by SSC-Khatumo communities displaced by economic collapse and marginalization in their home regions, the city has become a microcosm of resistance against both Somaliland’s claims of sovereignty and the federal government’s struggle to assert control. Its rise reflects broader regional dynamics: communities seeking autonomy or recognition often coalesce around urban centers that challenge existing power structures. For Barre, Laascaano represents both a political opportunity and a minefield. By courting its residents, he aims to project federal legitimacy while navigating SSC-Khatumo’s demand for statehood—a legal and political hurdle he cannot unilaterally resolve.

The Optics of Power and Conspiracy Theories
The spectacle of Barre’s delegation—lavish in size and symbolism—serves multiple purposes. Photo opportunities with SSC-Khatumo leaders and displaced communities reinforce the narrative of a federal government engaged in grassroots reconciliation. However, the visit’s theatrics have fueled conspiracy theories. Notably, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud’s remarks from Türkiye insinuated that Barre’s true mission was to broker a prisoner exchange with Somaliland, a breakaway region that claims Laascaano as part of its territory. This theory, though unverified, highlights the fragility of Somalia’s territorial disputes and the federal government’s precarious position as both mediator and claimant in such conflicts. Barre’s ambiguous rhetoric—declaring SSC-Khatumo “under federal authority” while sidestepping its quest for statehood—exposes the gap between political posturing and constitutional reality. To SSC-Khatumo, such statements are empty promises; to the federal government, they are pragmatic dodges in a landscape where formalizing new states risks alienating powerful stakeholders like Puntland.

SSC-Khatumo’s Unmet Aspirations
At the heart of the tension lies SSC-Khatumo’s unresolved status. The group seeks recognition as Somalia’s sixth federal member state, a process requiring parliamentary approval and a referendum—procedures mired in bureaucratic and political delays. Barre’s inability to fast-track this ambition reflects broader systemic challenges: the federal government’s limited capacity to manage state formation amid competing clan interests and external pressures. Meanwhile, Somaliland’s vocal objections to the visit—framed as a violation of its “sovereignty”—add another layer of complexity. While the international community does not recognize Somaliland’s independence, its de facto control over parts of the Sool and Sanaag regions complicates Mogadishu’s outreach to SSC-Khatumo. Barre’s visit thus becomes a high-stakes gambit, aiming to bolster federal influence without provoking open conflict.

The Elephant in the Room: Puntland’s Shadow
Amid the noise surrounding Somaliland’s grievances, the conspicuous silence of Puntland looms large. As a founding federal member state with historical ties to SSC-Khatumo communities, Puntland’s tacit opposition to Laascaano’s ascendancy cannot be ignored. Puntland has long positioned itself as a defender of SSC interests, but its reluctance to endorse SSC-Khatumo’s statehood bid reveals a fear of losing influence in a reconfigured federal system. The absence of Puntland officials from Barre’s delegation speaks volumes, hinting at unresolved rivalries and the federal government’s struggle to reconcile competing regional agendas. For Mogadishu, sidelining Puntland risks destabilizing the fragile equilibrium of Somalia’s federalism; accommodating it could undermine SSC-Khatumo’s aspirations.

Conclusion: A Balancing Act on Shifting Sands
Prime Minister Barre’s visit to Laascaano epitomizes the paradoxes of Somali governance. While the photo ops and rhetoric aim to project unity and federal resolve, they also expose the fissures in a nation still grappling with decentralization, clan politics, and external interference. The SSC-Khatumo question remains unresolved, Somaliland’s claims persist as a geopolitical irritant, and Puntland’s unspoken resistance underscores the fragility of federal alliances. In this context, Barre’s delegation is less a solution than a symptom of Somalia’s enduring challenges—a reminder that in the absence of institutionalized power-sharing, political theatre often substitutes for progress. As Laascaano’s skyline rises, so too do the stakes for a nation, navigating the thin line between unity and fragmentation.