Multiple sources have confirmed that Abdirahman Duale Baileh, the former head of Somalia’s Treasury, has returned to his ancestral home in Somaliland after several years in office. Baileh reportedly asked for permission from authorities in Hargeisa, the regional administrative capital of Somaliland, which cut links with Somalia over three decades ago.
Somaliland has been prohibiting people from traveling to Mogadishu and working there, forcing those opposed to the secession idea to permanently relocate from the region for fear of reprisals. This has led to several people being tormented for breaching the rule.
Baileh’s exit has triggered a social media storm, with some people linking him to corrupt deals. According to security analyst Rashid Abdi, Baileh is the owner of a new high-end hotel in Hargeisa called Al-Jabal and will be doing consultancy work from an office there.
Baileh’s arrival in Hargeisa coincides with turmoil in the Sool region, where over 145 people have been killed by Somaliland forces. The people of the Sool region are fighting to be administered from Mogadishu instead of Hargeisa, which has provoked Somaliland.
Somaliland has been running a parallel government for the last thirty years with its own executive, legislature, judiciary, and central bank. However, some people from the northern state have been getting appointments in the federal government of Somalia, with some serving in the assembly representing the region.
The United States and other countries have been insisting on a single Somaliland policy, even as Somaliland intensifies its push to be a sovereign nation. The government of Somalia has been calling for tolerance, asking the region to drop tough conditions and subscribe to the unity of the nation.
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