On Saturday, the Deputy Minister of Education, Mr. Mohamed Muuse Abdi known as Galayr, confirmed that prisoners held in Lasanod and those held in Somaliland will be exchanged or released on the same day after a final agreement is reached over the issue.
The education Minister has announced that peace and finding a resolution to the war prisoners held in Lasanod is a top priority for the incumbent Somaliland President, further highlighting that the matter is in the hands of the National Peace Committee.
Minister Galayr stated, “We call upon the public to await the outcome from the Committee tasked with this matter. Once an agreement is reached, prisoners held by both sides will be released or exchanged on the same day.”
Meanwhile, the minister appealed to the public to work towards the reconciliation and in maintaining the security, stating that the experience of the peace conferences that established Somaliland demonstrated the importance of compromise and dialogue.
He further disclosed that the war that took place in Lasanod had far-reaching implications. However, a future of coexistence can be achieved if peace and mutual understanding are strengthened.
The remarks from the minister came after news was widely circulated in the social media claiming that Somaliland government is planning to unilaterally release the prisoners captured in Lasanod conflict who are being held in Somaliland.
That suspicion intensified following the reception accorded to Fahima Quuje, sparking a debate about the possibility of prisoner exchange. Some called for Somaliland to release the prisoners it holds, while others insisted that any release should only occur through a simultaneous exchange carried out by both sides.
The Somaliland government has made its stance clear regarding the release of the prisoners saying that this could only be done through an agreement reached by the two sides. At the same time, the prisoners held by each side will not be exchanged unilaterally.
