ATMIS Force Commander Denies Plans for Troop Deployment in LasAnod

In response to a query posed by CBA TV, ATMIS Force Commander, Lieutenant General Sam Okiding, has refuted claims of intending to deploy troops in LasAnod, where conflicts have persisted for eight months, leaving the region in a state of tension.

Lt. Gen. Okiding characterized the ongoing strife in LasAnod as inter-clan conflicts rooted in power struggles and border disputes. He emphasized that ATMIS troops cannot serve as a universal solution for every crisis but reiterated their support for peaceful resolutions between the conflicting parties.

This declaration followed shortly after the Government of Somaliland rejected any assertions from the UN Security Council implying ATMIS’s jurisdiction over Somaliland.

Somaliland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs reaffirmed the nation’s status as an independent sovereign state, clarifying that ATMIS has never had a jurisdictional mandate over Somaliland.