WASHINGTON, Sept. 21 (Horndiplomat) — Somaliland’s representative to the United States, Ambassador Bashir Goth, has called on Somalilanders to gather in New York on Wednesday, September 23, for a rally seeking wider international recognition.
Goth announced the Somaliland Recognition Rally in a speech at a Washington, D.C., event where President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi “Irro” met members of the Somaliland diaspora in North America. He said the demonstration would take place at Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza, near United Nations headquarters, and that organisers had obtained a permit.
“On Wednesday, September 23, we will gather in New York for a demonstration called the Somaliland Recognition Rally,” Goth said . “We have obtained the permit for Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza, by the United Nations. I call on all Somalilanders to come and show their strength there.”
The rally is scheduled for the second day of the UN General Assembly’s high-level General Debate. World leaders and diplomats are gathering in New York for the General Assembly’s high-level week, September 21–25. The planned demonstration is a public rally near UN headquarters, separate from the assembly’s official proceedings.
It follows a week of engagements by President Irro in Washington aimed at strengthening Somaliland’s ties with the United States and advancing its recognition campaign. He addressed an event at the Hudson Institute, where he presented Somaliland as a strategic partner in the Horn of Africa, and met Senator Ted Cruz on Capitol Hill. He also met other U.S. lawmakers and officials during the visit.
The Washington meetings gave Somaliland’s leadership opportunities to present its case to American policymakers. The New York rally will allow Somalilanders and other advocates to carry that message into a public setting during the UN’s high-level week. No U.S. recognition decision resulting from the president’s visit has been announced.
Somaliland restored its sovereignty in 1991 and has sought broad international recognition since then. Israel recognised Somaliland in December 2025, becoming the first UN member state to do so. The United States has not recognised Somaliland.
