[JURIST] The US Department of Defense (DOD) [official website] on Tuesday announced [press release] the transfer of one Guantanamo Bay [JURIST news archive] detainee to Somaliland. DOD hailed the move as proof of the effectiveness of its review processes and of US desire not to hold detainees any longer than necessary. The Department reports that approximately 60 detainees at Guantanamo are currently eligible for transfer or release. The Miami Herald has more.

The announcement is the latest in a series of recent transfers. On Saturday, DOD announced [press release; JURIST report] the transfer of two other Guantanamo detainees, one to Tajikistan and one to Kazakhstan. There are approximately 255 detainees still at Guantanamo. Last week, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates [official profile] confirmed that the detention facilities at Guantanamo will remain open [JURIST report] for the remainder of President George W. Bush's administration. Gates said any decision to close the prison would rest with the incoming administration. Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) [campaign website], elected Tuesday as the next US president, has said he supports the closure [speech text] of the Guantanamo Bay detention facility.