SOMALILAND: SSC commander reveals split in his group

[Jacaylbaro]

LAS ANOD (Somalilandpress) — A REBEL group operating in Somaliland’s southern region of Buuhoodle is said to have disintegrated after the group failed to resolve internal rift among its senior leaders.

 

The SSC group, abbreviation for the disputed –Sool, Sanaag and Cayn regions who threatened to launch a violent campaign against Somaliland several months ago is reportedly have defied their own leadership.

 

The group’s main commander, Kayse Abdi Yusuf, issued a press statement on Tuesday insisting he has formed his own rebel wing and is no longer following orders from senior rebel leadership. He accused them of trying to derail the front’s agenda and principles. He says the senior leaders including Dr Suleiman Essa Ahmed (Hagal tosiye) of Columbus, Ohio and elders from his sub clan have formed an illegal regional authority which goes against everything the group campaigned for. Another rift exists between Kayse and another Buuhoodle based executive member called Mohamed Hassan Burale.

 

He added the purpose of the SSC was to campaign for the reunification of Somalia not to form more regional authorities. He accused them of being power hungry and said he does not recognise such appointees [regional authority].

 

“We are rebels and rebels have no right forming their own authorities. States require income taxes and this goes against all we stood for. It will destroy our prime objective, so I call on the executive leadership to reverse their decisions,” he said.

 

Kayse Abdi, who is the former governor of Puntland to the region added SSC is nearing a total collapse and in a bid to rescue the mission he formed a new front called Badbaado (rescue).

 

The new President in Somaliland has vowed to resolve the issue in Buuhoodle peacefully and said a dialogue offer was on the table for the rebels. A source close to the government told Somalilandpress there is some degree of contact between them and some of the elders in Buuhoodle and senior SSC rebel leaders.

 

The news that some of the senior leadership have low key contacts with Hargeisa has deepened a rift among the elders and the two camps that make up SSC (Burawadal and Buuhoodle elders).

 

In the latest development, at least ten SSC fighters and their pickup truck were welcomed in Sool region’s provincial capital of Las Anod on Thursday night. Abdulrahman Osman, Somaliland military official based in the town has confirmed the news of the deserters and said they were in the custody of the army and are been rehabilitated. He stated they were part of SSC’s militia in Buuhoodle but originally hail from the Sool region.

 

A number of clashes flared up between Somaliland army stationed in the region and the rebels who are using hit and run guerrilla attacks.