By Asha Elmi - Reporter
Somalia, 25 October 2025 — Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi ‘Irro’ has said that Somaliland’s separation from Somalia remains “incomplete,” citing lingering administrative and technical issues dating back to the 1991 breakup of the Somali Republic.
Speaking at the opening of the 7th National Technology Exhibition and Conference in Hargeisa today, President Irro detailed the unresolved matters, which include passport validity, Hajj pilgrimage quota, telecommunications codes, and airspace management.
“Although we separated from Somalia in 1991, there are still areas that need to be finalized — such as the old passport, the Hajj quota, telephone network codes, and airspace management,” President Irro said.
He praised Somaliland’s Minister of Civil Aviation for efforts made in reclaiming full management of the Somaliland's airspace, expressing optimism that the process will soon be completed.
Irro’s remarks come amid rising political and policy tensions between Hargeisa and Mogadishu. On September 9, 2025, Somaliland’s Ministry of Civil Aviation and Airports Development reaffirmed that the region will continue its visa-on-arrival policy, rejecting Somalia’s newly introduced electronic visa (e-Visa) system.
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President Irro emphasized that Somaliland seeks peaceful disengagement from Somalia, not confrontation.
“There is no conflict between us and Somalia. We hold no hostility or resentment. We made our decision freely and independently on 18 May 1991. Just as we voluntarily united before, we also chose to separate as a free nation, and now seek to complete that process with dignity,” he said.
The President also took a moment to criticize Somalia’s federal structure, noting that the federal member states “remain divided and uncoordinated,” yet new ones are being formed instead of addressing existing political rifts.
He questioned the formation of new states instead of addressing current political rifts, a comment that follows Somalia’s recent recognition of a new federal member state in the northeast, a decision Somaliland has strongly opposed.
