36 former prisoners of war returned safely to their homes after a year in captivity, following a successful exchange in the Sool region between Puntland and Somaliland.

12 prisoners had been captured by Somaliland and 24 by Puntland during fighting in the region in late September 2004.

Their release followed extensive behind-the-scenes negotiations between the two administrations and military commanders over the past six months.

They had been assisted by the Academy for Peace and Development (APD) and the Puntland Research Development Centre (PDRC), who oversaw the exchange ceremony in Ari-Adeys in Sool. The two organisations had shared information and photographs with the prisoners families during their captivity.

The PDRC based in Garowe and APD based in Hargeisa are partner institutions with Interpeace, a Geneva based peacbuilding organisation. Interpeace also partners with the Centre for Research and Dialogue in Mogadishu, which is working with the two other Somali institutes on a Dialogue for Peace project.