Jakarta –
Hundreds of people gathered in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, yesterday to protest Israel’s decision to recognize Somaliland. Somaliland, which is located in Northern Somalia, declared independence in 1991.
Reported AnadoluMonday (29/12/2025), the demonstrators started by singing the Somali national anthem, on Sunday (28/12) yesterday. They condemned Israel’s move and emphasized Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
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They shouted slogans such as “Somalia cannot be separated” and “Somaliland is Somalia.” Security forces were deployed in large numbers to maintain order.
Mohamed Abor, one of the demonstrators, told Anadolu that Somalia had never given up territory and would not do so now.
They stressed that no Somali land could be given to Israel or any other country.
“Somalia is one and will remain one,” Abor said.
Another demonstrator, Abdi Ismail, said Israel’s decision was unacceptable to the Somali people. He called the decision a “clear attack on Somalia’s sovereignty”.
Abdi said that Somaliland is an inseparable part of the country. “No country has the right to recognize Somaliland unilaterally,” he said.
Abdi added that the international community must not remain silent in the face of this decision.
Israel became the first UN member state to officially recognize Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state on Friday. This drew criticism from Türkiye, Somalia’s close ally, and countries in Africa and the Middle East.
Somaliland, which has not received official recognition since declaring independence from Somalia in 1991, operates as a de facto independent administrative, political, and security entity, with the central government struggling to enforce control over the region and its leadership unable to gain international recognition of its independence.
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(azh/eva)
