By Abukar Osman - Reporter
Somalia, 4 January 2026 Federal MPs and ministers from northern regions, including The North Eastern State and Awdal, have rejected Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, emphasizing that Somalia’s territorial unity is inviolable.
The decision was reached during a joint meeting held in the capital, Mogadishu, on Saturday to discuss the political situation and security threats emerging in northern regions.
A statement issued after the meeting highlighted Somalia’s history of independence and unity, recalling that in 1960 the two territories formerly known as British Somaliland and Italian Somaliland voluntarily united without conditions to form the Somali Republic. The MPs emphasized that no part of the country has been separately recognized internationally.
The MPs noted that northern regions—comprising five regions: Awdal, Woqooyi Galbeed, Togdheer, Sanaag, and Sool—have different administrations and situations. They stated that Sool, Sanaag, and southern Togdheer (Buuhoodle) fall under the authority of the Federal Somalia administration in Bari, while Awdal opposes the Hargeisa administration’s domination and local clan disputes.
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“While it is acknowledged that Hargeisa and parts of The North West State and Togdheer have established a self-declared separatist system, the claims and ambitions for Somaliland’s independence and recognition lack legal and factual basis and do not meet the fundamental requirements of a unified state and people,” the statement read.
The MPs acknowledged that there have been political grievances and difficulties since the collapse of state institutions in 1991 but stressed that separatism has never been collectively agreed upon and is not accepted by communities living in the northern regions.
The statement also addressed foreign interventions, describing them as violations of Somalia’s unity and sovereignty, and noted that both the Provisional Constitution and international law affirm the protection of the country’s territorial integrity.
The MPs and ministers called on the federal government to strengthen its presence across all regions and support administrations committed to unity, encouraging the Somali public to collectively safeguard the nation’s independence, unity, and cohesion.
