Somaliland Rally Highlights Growing Public Support for UAE Partnership

By: Mohamed Duale

HARGEISA, Somaliland — Thousands of people gathered in the capital Hargeisa on Thursday afternoon, waving flags and chanting pro-UAE slogans in a mass rally expressing strong public support for the United Arab Emiratesand its deepening partnership with the Republic of Somaliland.

The demonstration began at around 4:00 p.m. local time and continued through the evening until 9:00 p.m., according to witnesses, with crowds filling major streets and public spaces across the city.

“The UAE is our strongest partner and has proven it through real investment,” said Mohamed Ahmed, one of the demonstrators. “This turnout shows how much the people value that relationship.”

Somaliland officials say the UAE is the country’s largest foreign investor, backing major infrastructure projects including Berbera Port and the Berbera–Wajaale corridor, which links the Red Sea coast to Ethiopia and positions Somaliland as an emerging logistics and trade hub in the Horn of Africa.

As the rally continued into the evening, Somaliland’s National Museum was illuminated with the UAE flag, a symbolic gesture widely shared on social media and described by officials as reflecting the strength of bilateral ties.

“This partnership is built on trust, long-term vision, and mutual benefit,” a senior Somaliland government official said. “The UAE’s role in our development is visible on the ground.”

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The rally also carried a clear political message following Somalia’s announcement earlier this week that it had withdrawn from defence and security cooperation agreements with the UAE. Somalia’s cabinet said it had annulled all existing bilateral defence and security arrangements and cancelled wider agreements linked to ports including Berbera, Bosaso, and Kismayo.

The Government of the Republic of Somaliland has firmly rejected Somalia’s attempts to assert authority over Berbera, declaring the claims legally void and politically meaningless. Somaliland officials say Somalia has never exercised governance or sovereignty over Berbera or any part of Somaliland’s territory, and therefore has no legal authority to cancel agreements entered into by Somaliland.

Officials in Hargeisa stressed that Somaliland’s partnerships, including those with the UAE, are based on effective territorial control, mutual consent, and international commercial law, and remain fully valid and binding.

After more than three decades of peaceful self-governance, constitutional order, and democratic practice, Somaliland has recently received its first formal international recognition as a sovereign and independent state, following recognition by Israel, though it still lacks broad international recognition.

The demonstration reflected strong public backing for the deepening Somaliland–UAE partnership, with crowds openly calling on the UAE to become the next country to recognise the Republic of Somaliland.

“We are calling on the UAE to stand with the will of the Somaliland people,” said rally organiser Hassan Ali. “Recognition would strengthen stability, democracy, and cooperation in the region.”

Somaliland officials say the Government of the Republic of Somaliland remains firmly committed to peace, democratic governance, and regional stability, positioning Somaliland as a reliable partner that contributes positively to security, development, and international cooperation across the Horn of Africa and beyond.

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