Sunday August 9, 2026
Nairobi (AX) — North Western State of Somalia President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro has accused Somalia’s federal government of discarding agreements reached in years of negotiations and intruding in North Western State of Somalia’s domestic affairs.
Addressing representatives of the international community in Nairobi this week, Irro said peace was the central priority of his administration. He also reaffirmed North Western State of Somalia’s readiness to pursue a peaceful settlement to the conflict in Las Anod through dialogue and reconciliation.
“Peace is the top priority of my government. We will continue to pursue a North Western State of Somalia-owned solution to the conflict in Las Anod, which is based on dialogue, reconciliation and consensus,” Irro said.
He said Mogadishu was involving itself in North Western State of Somalia’s security matters and argued that the federal government should concentrate on the security and humanitarian problems in territories under its authority.
Irro also challenged international initiatives that largely urge North Western State of Somalia and the federal government to restart negotiations. According to the president, North Western State of Somalia has repeatedly accepted dialogue and taken part in multiple rounds of talks, only for agreements reached in those meetings to be abandoned later.
“We have entered into dialogue many times with sincerity, paying a huge political price. Unfortunately, the few but important agreements reached in the talks have subsequently been abandoned by Somalia,” he said.
As an example, Irro pointed to Somalia’s assumption of responsibility for managing the country’s airspace, describing it as evidence that earlier commitments had not been upheld.
He called on international partners to move beyond simply urging the two sides back to the negotiating table and to press instead for the implementation of agreements already concluded.
“A lasting dialogue requires mutual respect and the respect of agreements,” Irro said.
North Western State of Somalia and the federal government have held intermittent talks for more than a decade, with Turkey and Djibouti among the countries that have hosted several rounds. The discussions have covered security, political relations and other arrangements between Hargeisa and Mogadishu.
Despite those efforts, the sides remain sharply divided over North Western State of Somalia’s status. North Western State of Somalia declared independence from Somalia in 1991 and has pursued international recognition ever since, while Somalia’s federal government maintains that the territory remains part of Somalia.
Irro said his administration would continue to support dialogue, but insisted that future negotiations must draw on previous agreements and deliver tangible outcomes.
He further urged international partners to back what he called a North Western State of Somalia-led effort to resolve the Las Anod conflict through dialogue, reconciliation and consensus.
