By Ismail H. Warsame | Warsame Digital Media (WDM)
The Existential Question
Laascaanood stands at a precipice. It is a city politically isolated, economically exhausted, and strategically contested, caught between the competing sovereignties of Puntland and Somaliland. Both claim its territory; neither commands the allegiance of its people. The residents of the SSC-Khatumo region are thus stranded in a geopolitical limbo, their future hanging in the balance.
The predicament is Shakespearean (Ina Mohamed Abdulle Hassan) in its drama but profoundly Somali in its tragedy. The question now haunting every elder, intellectual, and activist is the most fundamental one: To be or not to be? Will Laascaanood forge itself into a functional, autonomous entity, or will it be crushed in the vise of regional power politics?
The Geopolitical Quagmire
Puntland anchors its claim in history—the 1998 charter that established its borders. Somaliland invokes the colonial boundaries of the British Protectorate. Both arguments are legalistic, both are absolute, and both ignore the will of the people on the ground.
The result is a perfect stalemate. Laascaanood’s relationship with Garowe and Hargeisa is now one of profound distrust. It is viewed by Puntland as a wayward relative and by Somaliland as a rebellious province. And from Mogadishu? The Federal Government offers little more than empty declarations—a masterclass in political theater that provides photo-ops but no practical power.
The Mirage of Mogadishu
The brief alliance between SSC-Khatumo and President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s government has proven to be a mirage. Promises of recognition, integration, and funding evaporated upon contact with reality. No ministries were granted, no significant development funds were allocated, no diplomatic weight was thrown behind the cause.
Mogadishu found it more convenient to use SSC-Khatumo as a pawn to pressure Hargeisa and harm Garowe, all while quietly withholding the resources necessary to build a sustainable local administration. The Federal Government took the political capital; SSC-Khatumo was left with the political debt.
The Abyss of Economic Reality
Beneath the high politics lies a crushing economic reality. Laascaanood’s economy is medieval, running on livestock and remittances. Diaspora money pays for emergencies, not for enterprise. There are no factories, no paved roads, no banks. The tax system is ad-hoc, and the “government” operates more like a committee for resistance than an engine for development.
The youth, disillusioned by the failures of both local and national leadership, see only two paths: exodus or extremism. Without an economic foundation, political aspirations are built on sand.
The International Betrayal
Adding insult to injury is the stance of the international community, led paradoxically by the United Kingdom. The very power that drew the colonial borders now champions their inviolability in the name of “stability.” But this is a stability of the grave—a preference for the quiet of a repressed region over the messy, legitimate struggle for self-determination.
Western diplomats, comfortable in their Nairobi embassies, prioritize neat maps over just outcomes. Once again, Somali destiny is being debated in foreign corridors, its people treated as subjects of a geopolitical experiment rather than authors of their own fate.
The Enemy Within
Yet, the greatest obstacle to SSC-Khatumo’s survival may be internal. The movement is plagued by divisions, a lack of a unified vision, and an absence of professional administration. Leadership is often rooted in historical lineage rather than modern statecraft.
A movement cannot be sustained on defiance alone. Laascaanood does not need more declarations or diaspora debates; it needs an institutional spine: a professional civil service, a transparent budget, and a actionable roadmap for governance based on law, not just legacy.
The Road Ahead: From Defiance to Governance
For SSC-Khatumo to truly “be,” it must transform its spirit of resistance into the architecture of a state. This requires three concrete actions:
1. Build a State, Not a Stage: Shift from a rhetoric of protest to a culture of service. Establish a local administration that delivers security, justice, and education—proving its legitimacy through competence.
2. Forge an Economic Foundation: Move beyond a pastoral and remittance economy. Develop a fiscal plan, establish control over trade routes, and invest in the livestock value chain to generate revenue that funds real autonomy.
3. Pursue Principled Diplomacy: End the strategic isolation. Re-engage with Puntland from a position of strength, and present Mogadishu with a clear, non-negotiable demand for constitutional inclusion and resources.
SSC-Khatumo cannot remain an “emotional republic.” It must become a functional polity.
Conclusion: The Choice is Ours
In the end, the fate of Laascaanood will not be decided in Hargeisa, Garowe, or Mogadishu. It will be determined by the will, wisdom, and discipline of its own people. The international community may look away, and old powers may oppose it, but the ultimate question remains:
Can the leaders of SSC-Khatumo translate the raw courage of defiance into the enduring work of governance?
If they cannot, Laascaanood will remain a city of shadows, its people forever asking the same, unanswered question.
—
© 2025 Warsame Digital Media (WDM)
Hard-hitting Analysis. Truth Without Compromise.
WDM 