MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has urged Somaliland’s leaders to abandon their newly established relations with Israel and rejoin the rest of the country, saying he is prepared to make sweeping compromises to restore unity but will never accept Somaliland’s separation or its quest for international recognition.
Speaking on Saturday at the inauguration of Abdulkadir Ahmed Aw Ali as president of Northeastern Somalia state, President Mohamud appealed to Somaliland’s leadership to return and assume national leadership roles within a united Somalia. He underscored his readiness to concede on all matters except secession, which he described as unacceptable.
The president sharply criticised Somaliland authorities over their treatment of visitors, contrasting what he described as a warm public reception for Israelis with the arrest of Somali nationals who visit Hargeisa while carrying the Somali flag. He said the contrast defied comprehension.
Addressing Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, President Mohamud delivered a stern warning to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, asserting that Israel would not succeed in establishing what he characterised as a proxy entity within Somalia. He said Somalia would not allow any government on its territory to pursue what he described as hostile strategies.
“I state unequivocally to Netanyahu that it will never be possible for Israel to establish within Somalia a government that implements its wicked strategies,” he added.
President Mohamud also called on both Somaliland authorities and the Northeastern Somalia administration based in Lasanod to release hundreds of detainees held by each side following clashes over recent years, framing the move as a necessary step towards de-escalation.
His remarks come amid escalating tensions between Somalia’s federal government and Somaliland authorities, which have intensified further since Israel’s recognition of the self-declared republic.
In a highly symbolic move this week, President Mohamud, senior members of his government and ambassadors from Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Sudan, along with diplomats from other countries, travelled to Lasanod, a city claimed by Somaliland as part of its territory.
Somali officials said the visit was intended to demonstrate that Somaliland no longer represents the entirety of the former British Somaliland protectorate, with Sool and parts of Sanaag region now aligned with a federal government-backed member state.
Somali authorities have also announced interest in establishing a new regional state in Awdal region, calling on local residents to break away from Somaliland and assert their right to self-determination.
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