By Mohamed Abdi - Reporter
LAS ANOD (Dawan) Police in Somalia’s North East State said they arrested two women accused of celebrating Somaliland’s May 18 independence day.
In a statement, Sool region police confirmed the arrest of 18-year-old Salma Jama Yusuf Ahmed and 27-year-old Fadumo Yusuf Ahmed Geelle.
Authorities alleged that the two women shared videos on social media expressing support for May 18, the date Somaliland marks its 1991 declaration of separation from Somalia.
Police also said they were searching for another woman identified only as Sihaam, whom they accused of involvement in similar activities related to the celebrations.
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Security officials in the North East State said public support for Somaliland would be treated as a criminal matter and warned that legal action would follow.
Las Anod and much of the Sool region have remained politically contested areas in recent years amid tensions between Somaliland and the North East State administration.
Somaliland controlled Las Anod for nearly 15 years before its forces were pushed out following fighting that escalated in August 2023.
The North East State administration was later declared across parts of the Sool, Sanaag and Togdheer regions and was subsequently recognized by the Federal Government of Somalia as the newest member state within the federal system.