By Goth Mohamed Goth
HARGEISA, Somaliland — The government of the Republic of Somaliland has issued a forceful rebuke to Somalia’s federal government, dismissing objections to its foreign policy as legally baseless and affirming its right to conduct independent diplomatic relations, including recent engagement with Israel.
In an official press release obtained by [News Outlet Name], Hargeisa characterized Mogadishu’s statements as “unfounded in law” and “inaccurate in history.” The response marks a significant escalation in rhetoric regarding Somaliland’s autonomous status and its pursuit of international legitimacy.
Historical Precedent and Legal Argument
The core of Somaliland’s rebuttal rests on the claim of a distinct, pre-existing sovereignty established on June 26, 1960. The statement emphasizes that this independence was recognized internationally prior to the five-day-old state’s voluntary union with Italian Somaliland on July 1, 1960.
“The continued invocation by the Somalian Government of ‘territorial integrity’ in this context is both misplaced and misleading,” the press release stated. “Somaliland’s independence predates the union of 1960, which lacked a binding legal foundation capable of extinguishing Somaliland’s statehood.”
Citing the principle of state continuity under international law, Somaliland asserts that its reassertion of sovereignty in 1991 was a restoration of an existing state, not a secession from a unified one.
Contrasting Governance and Security
The statement draws a sharp contrast between the two administrations’ records. While Somalia grapples with a protracted insurgency and relies on the African Union Transition Mission (ATMIS) for security, Somaliland highlighted over three decades of self-governance within its colonial-era borders.
Somaliland officials pointed to the maintenance of democratic institutions, peaceful transitions of power, and the safeguarding of the Gulf of Aden maritime corridor as evidence of its capacity as a “responsible and self-reliant partner” in counter-terrorism and anti-piracy operations.
International Relations
The press release did not specify the nature of the recent engagement with Israel, but it framed all bilateral partnerships as an exercise of “sovereign prerogatives” not subject to approval from Mogadishu. The statement asserts that such engagements are conducted in full accordance with international norms.
“Somaliland’s sovereignty is non-negotiable, and its foreign relations are determined solely by its sovereign will,” the government concluded.
The renewed diplomatic friction comes amid heightened regional focus on the Horn of Africa’s maritime access and security architecture, though Somaliland remains without widespread international recognition as a separate state.
