MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Somalia’s President, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, has issued a blistering denunciation of Israel, describing the state as synonymous with occupation, land grabs, massacres of Palestinians, and the displacement of civilians.
Speaking in a nationwide video address on Thursday, President Mohamud also labelled Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a wanted man and suggested that Israel is increasingly isolated on the international stage. He dismissed Israel’s recognition of Somaliland as lacking significant weight.
The Somali president argued that Israel’s recent recognition of the breakaway region is not in the interests of Somalilanders, but rather represents an attempt by Tel Aviv to pursue territorial expansion. He warned that Israel plans to forcibly relocate Palestinians from Gaza to Somaliland and establish military bases in the region, actions he said could threaten security across the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea.
President Mohamud reiterated his appeal to the people of Somaliland to oppose any Israeli presence, warning that failure to do so could drag the region into conflicts it cannot manage, resulting in destabilisation and turmoil.
In a rare conciliatory note, he also urged Somaliland to set aside its pursuit of international recognition and consider reuniting with Somalia. He suggested that national unity would lead to greater strength and prosperity, pledging that his government would sacrifice everything to achieve this goal.
This is not the first time President Mohamud has launched a scathing attack on Israel. In a prior address last month, Mohamud described Israel as an “enemy” of the Muslim world and called on Somalilanders to defend their region.
Members of his cabinet have echoed these sentiments, with official statements condemning Tel Aviv. Video footage of government-organised demonstrations even showed security officials chanting jihadi slogans against Israel, raising questions about how a Western-backed administration, engaged in combatting Islamist insurgents, would permit such rhetoric.
Adding to the tension, Somali General Yusuf Mohamed Siad Indho-adde threatened to attack Israel directly, claiming he would march to Tel Aviv if Israel continued its engagement with Somaliland.
Somalia’s relations with the United States are also deteriorating. Washington recently accused Somalia’s UN ambassador of ties to a US-based healthcare company previously convicted of Medicaid fraud. The US also accused Somali authorities of allegedly stealing food and destroying a World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse in Mogadishu, leading to the suspension of American aid to the country.
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