External Hands Off! Laas Caanood and Gaalkacayo Must Guard Against the Infiltration of External Agendas
By Warsame Digital Media (WDM)
July 25, 2025
Somalia is no stranger to outside manipulation, proxy politics, and shameless exploitation—whether by foreign powers, religious factions masquerading as saviors, or so-called “federal” agents pushing divisive agendas. But what is happening today in Laas Caanood under the banner of the SSC-Khaatumo Congress is nothing short of a political hijacking engineered by the very enemies of Puntland’s vision, unity, and hard-won stability.
Make no mistake: the ongoing congress in Laas Caanood is not just a community gathering, nor a neutral civil affair. It is being contaminated by the fingerprints of Mogadishu-backed operatives, religious extremists in sheep’s clothing, and foreign-funded agendas aiming to undermine Puntland’s autonomy, fragment its influence, and bleed its border regions into another experiment in clan politics.
The Laas Caanood Congress: From Hope to Hostage
SSC was once a project with merit—a grassroots movement meant to assert identity, recover land from Somaliland occupation, and reclaim dignity. But today, its congress is being commandeered by Mogadishu regime functionaries and shadowy factions from Damul Jadiid and beyond, who care more about turning Sool into a satellite of Villa Somalia than uplifting the suffering people of the region.
Where is the accountability? Where are the discussions on development, reconciliation with Puntland, or service delivery? Instead, we hear whispers of new flags, new borders, and illusory “federal” dreams sponsored by those who never defended a single inch of Sool during its darkest days.
This is betrayal. Plain and simple.
Warning to Mudugh: Keep the Devil Out of the Room
Now, as activists and elders in Mudugh prepare for a long-overdue conference on infrastructure, roads, airports, environmental concerns, and social service delivery, let this article serve as a clear warning:
DO NOT ALLOW your legitimate grievances to be hijacked by the same poisonous outsiders that are currently corrupting the SSC platform.
The people of Mudugh—noble, resilient, and independent—have every right to question the government’s failures. The delayed road network, the stalled Galkayo airport upgrades, the unaddressed environmental degradation, and the woeful state of health and education services must be confronted head-on, in the open, and with government officials present to be held to account.
But beware: already, certain actors are whispering in the dark, attempting to twist this noble initiative into a political insurrection. They will come with suitcases of money, sweet words of “federal rights,” or pious slogans. They will try to turn civil activism into a weapon against Puntland unity.
Reject them all. This conference must be by Mudugh, for Mudugh, and about Mudugh. Period.
To the People of Laas Caanood: You Have Been Deceived
Your sacrifices were never meant to bring you back into the grip of Villa Somalia’s opportunists.
You didn’t expel Somaliland just to fall prey to the next puppet master.
Wake up!
There can be no sustainable peace or development if your political process is infested by external strategists, manipulating you as pawns in a broader anti-Puntland, anti-regional autonomy campaign.
Do not let Mogadishu’s agents turn you into another failed statelet.
To Civil Society and Elders: Reclaim Control
Civil society, youth, women, and elders—this is your moment. Not the moment for power-hungry charlatans or political middlemen who trade loyalties for contracts.
Speak loudly. Stand firm. Demand clarity from anyone who wants a seat at the table. Ask: who sent you? Who funds you? What is your endgame?
Ask every delegate in Mudugh and Laas Caanood: Are you here for your people, or are you here for another master’s mission?
To Puntland Authorities: Stop Playing Dead
The silence from Puntland’s leadership is unacceptable and dangerous. While external forces are busily redrawing the map of your territories, you issue toothless press releases or retreat into administrative isolation
Send your ministers. Face the public. Explain the delays. Be accountable. Be present. Or else forfeit your moral authority.
Puntland must reassert its role as the legitimate political parent of Sool, Sanaag, Cayn, and Mudugh—not with slogans, but with visibility, action, and bold counter-narratives.
Final Word: Somali Unity Starts with Regional Dignity
What is happening now is not just about SSC or Mudugh.
It is about whether Somali regions can self-organize without being turned into ideological experiments.
It is about whether Puntland can survive not just militarily, but politically.
It is about whether we allow Mogadishu to continue acting like a colonizer disguised as a unifier.
The people of SSC and Mudugh deserve answers, service, dignity—not sabotage and deception.
Let the people rise with clarity. Let the conferences be platforms of progress, not betrayal.
And let every whisper of external interference be met with thunderous rejection.
Down with external manipulation! Long live Puntland’s dignity! And may the people finally speak louder than the plotters ever could.
#SomaliUnity #PuntlandFirst #MudughForMudugh #HandsOffSSC
WDM 