A senior Somaliland military officer and several soldiers have reportedly defected to Somalia’s North Eastern State, amid growing political and military competition over control of parts of Sanaag region.
Colonel Ali Ahmed Ismail, famous for Ashkato, who reportedly served as Somaliland’s military commander in Yubbe, reportedly left the Somaliland forces on Wednesday and traveled with accompanying soldiers to Fiqi-Fuliye. He was received at the headquarters of the 12th Division of the North Eastern State’s Darwish forces.
Officials from North Eastern State confirmed the commander’s defection, saying he had previously been in contact with officials and ministers from the administration before deciding to leave Somaliland’s forces.
Speaking about his decision, Ashkato said he had taken into consideration the views of the community he comes from, as well as the recent position of local traditional elders who expressed support for North Eastern State.
He said discussions with officials from the administration ultimately led him to formally join its Darwish forces.
Unconfirmed reports indicate that Ashkato arrived in Fiqi-Fuliye with a military vehicle equipped with a heavy weapon and nearly 10 soldiers carrying light weapons. This information has not been independently verified.
The defection comes as Sanaag has emerged as a major area of political and military competition between Somaliland and the newly established North Eastern State.
North Eastern State emerged from SSC-Khatumo, whose political and military influence expanded significantly following the 2023 Las Anod conflict, which resulted in Somaliland forces being pushed out of Las Anod and much of eastern Sool.
In July 2025, a conference in Las Anod approved a new constitution and renamed SSC-Khatumo as the North Eastern State of Somalia, which says it comprises Sool, Sanaag and Cayn.
Somalia’s federal government supported the formation of the administration, which was subsequently incorporated into the country’s federal system.
Somaliland has strongly opposed the establishment of North Eastern State, maintaining that Sool and Sanaag form part of the territory of the former British Somaliland protectorate, whose boundaries Somaliland says it restored when it declared independence from Somalia in 1991.
The dispute over Sanaag is particularly complex, as the region has long been contested by Somaliland and Puntland, with North Eastern State now emerging as another claimant.
Somaliland controls parts of Erigavo and other areas of Sanaag, while Puntland administers large parts of the eastern region. North Eastern State, which claims the entire Sanaag region, has meanwhile been seeking greater support from local communities, politicians and traditional elders.
Yubbe, where Ashkato served as Somaliland’s commander, has itself long been a disputed area in Sanaag and has witnessed military movements and clashes linked to the rivalry between Somaliland and Puntland.
The emergence of North Eastern State has now altered the previous dynamics of the dispute, with the administration based in Las Anod seeking to expand its influence from Sool into Sanaag.
Although the number of soldiers who accompanied Ashkato appears to be limited, his defection could carry political significance because he was a Somaliland commander responsible for an area located in one of the region’s most contested zones.
The move also comes as rival sides in Sanaag increasingly focus on winning the support of traditional elders, military officers and local communities, whose positions could play an important role in shaping the future of the region.
Mustaqbal
