LAS ANOD, Somalia — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Saturday attended the inauguration of the president of the newly formed Northeast State of Somalia in the strategic town of Las Anod, officials said.
The ceremony brought together senior figures including Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre, federal ministers and leaders from Somalia’s federal member states, underscoring Mogadishu’s backing for the new regional administration.
Abdulqadir Ahmed Aw Ali, widely known as Firdhiye, was sworn in as president of the Northeast State during the event, which is taking place in Las Anod, the capital of the Sool region.
Diplomats and representatives from Djibouti, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Kenya were also in attendance, alongside officials from Ethiopia’s Somali regional state and other invited guests.
Las Anod has been at the centre of political and security tensions in recent years, and the inauguration is seen as a key moment in efforts by the federal government to consolidate authority and advance political arrangements in northern Somalia.
