People wave flags as soldiers and other military personnel of Somalia's breakaway territory of Somaliland march past during an Independence Day celebration parade in the capital, Hargeisa on May 18, 2016.
MOHAMED ABDIWAHAB/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
HARGEISA, Somaliland, Oct 4 — Somaliland has rejected claims by Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud over its relations with Israel and the strategic port city of Berbera, saying Somalia has no authority over Somaliland’s foreign relations.
The Somaliland Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that comments made by Mohamud during a recent interview with Al Jazeera were “misleading”, reaffirming Somaliland’s sovereignty and what it described as its continuity as an independent state.
“The Somalian Government has no authority to determine Somaliland’s foreign relations or speak on behalf of its people,” the ministry said.
The statement came after Mohamud discussed Somaliland’s relations with Israel, Berbera and Ethiopia’s access to the sea during the interview.
Somaliland said its diplomatic relations with Israel reflected the sovereign decisions of the two countries and were intended to advance cooperation, development and regional stability.
“Claims that Berbera would serve as a platform for aggression against other countries are unfounded and misrepresent Somaliland’s commitment to peaceful relations,” the ministry said.
It also rejected what it described as attempts by the Somalia president to speak on behalf of Somaliland’s population.
The ministry said Somaliland attained independence on June 26, 1960, before Somalia became independent on July 1, and said the restoration of Somaliland’s sovereignty on May 18, 1991 reaffirmed the continuity of its statehood.
“For more than three decades, Somaliland has built functioning institutions, held competitive elections, ensured peaceful transfers of power, and contributed to regional stability,” the statement said.
The government also challenged Somalia’s position on Ethiopia’s efforts to secure access to the sea.
Somaliland said it had consistently supported negotiated arrangements allowing Ethiopia to obtain sea access through mutually beneficial cooperation. It accused Somalia of taking a contradictory position by opposing the memorandum of understanding signed between Somaliland and Ethiopia in January 2024.
“The Somalian Government’s campaign against the 2024 Ethiopia-Somaliland Memorandum of Understanding directly contradicts its professed support for such access,” the ministry said.
Somaliland and Israel established diplomatic relations after Israel formally recognised Somaliland in December 2025.
The ministry condemned what it described as threats of force and interference in Somaliland’s internal affairs and called on Somalia’s leadership to exercise restraint.
“Somaliland will continue to safeguard its sovereignty, pursue peaceful diplomacy, and strengthen partnerships that promote stability across the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea,” it said.
