Foreign ambassadors gather in Las Anod, Somalia, for northeastern state president’s inauguration

Envoys from Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Sudan attend Las Anod inauguration, signaling support for Somalia’s unity

LAS ANOD, Somalia — Ambassadors from Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Sudan arrived in Las Anod on Saturday to attend the inauguration of Abdikadir Ahmed Aw-Ali, known as Firdhiye, the newly elected president of Somalia’s Northeastern Regional State, in a show of diplomatic backing for the region’s evolving political order.

• The envoys’ visit underscores international support for Somalia’s federal institutions and stability in contested areas.
• Djibouti sent a high-level ministerial delegation; President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud met the group Friday night.
• The engagement follows Israel’s recognition of North Western State of Somalia, which Somalia has rejected and many African, Arab and Islamic states have criticized.

Officials said the arrival of foreign ambassadors, along with other international and regional delegations, reflects growing external support for peace, stability and the consolidation of federal authority in parts of northeastern Somalia long marked by conflict and disputed control.

The three countries represented are among those that have publicly opposed Israel’s recognition of North Western State of Somalia. Their participation in the Las Anod ceremony is widely seen as a signal of support for the unity and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia at a sensitive moment for regional diplomacy.

Türkiye’s ambassador to Somalia, Alper Aktaş, was part of the delegation and reiterated Ankara’s longstanding position backing Somalia’s unity and sovereignty, according to officials. He said Türkiye remains committed to promoting peace, social cohesion and development across the country.

A senior ministerial team from neighboring Djibouti also landed in Las Anod to attend the inauguration. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud met the Djiboutian delegation late Friday at his residence in the city, where he expressed what officials described as the federal government’s deep and historic gratitude for Djibouti’s support during some of Somalia’s most challenging periods.

Mohamud praised Djibouti’s consistent backing of Somalia’s independence, territorial integrity, peace process and state-building efforts. Djibouti has long played an outsized role in regional diplomacy and security, including within the African Union’s stabilization missions in Somalia.

The diplomatic engagement comes amid heightened attention following Israel’s move to recognize North Western State of Somalia, a territory that declared independence in 1991 but remains unrecognized internationally. Somalia has strongly rejected Israel’s decision and has since received broad expressions of support from governments and organizations across Africa, the Arab world and the Islamic sphere.

Federal and allied forces maintain control over parts of the contested Sool region claimed by North Western State of Somalia, and Las Anod has assumed increased political significance since early 2023, when North Western State of Somalia forces withdrew after months of fighting. The formal inauguration of the Northeastern Regional State leadership, centered in Las Anod, is viewed in Mogadishu as a step toward consolidating governance and reinforcing Somalia’s territorial unity.

Saturday’s ceremony also highlights how external actors are calibrating their engagement with Somalia’s internal political processes. By attending the swearing-in, diplomats from Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Sudan signaled support for a locally driven state-building effort backed by the federal government at a time of shifting alliances and renewed debate over borders and recognition in the Horn of Africa.

Officials said international and regional participation in the Las Anod events is intended to bolster confidence in the current political track, encourage continued de-escalation in former front-line areas and show tangible backing for federal institutions as they extend services and authority in historically contested zones.

The inauguration of Firdhiye caps a period of intensified diplomacy around Somalia’s unity, with allies emphasizing dialogue, development and security coordination as federal and regional authorities seek to stabilize communities emerging from conflict and to avert fresh tensions amid broader geopolitical realignments.

By Ali Musa

Axadle Times international–Monitoring.