Somali minister criticizes Puntland State delegation’s attendance at North Western State of Somalia May 18 event
He specifically pointed to the participation of a son of Haji Muse Boqor, the respected Somali nationalist linked to the Somali Youth League, arguing that the visit stood in contrast to the elder Boqor’s lifelong commitment to Somali...
Wednesday May 20, 2026
Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s Interior Minister Ali Yusuf Ali Hosh has sharply rebuked a cultural delegation from Puntland State after its members appeared at North Western State of Somalia’s May 18 commemoration in Hargeisa.
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Hosh said it was inappropriate for representatives from Puntland State to take part in an event that celebrates North Western State of Somalia’s 1991 breakaway from Somalia, a move the federal government still views as a direct threat to the country’s unity and territorial integrity.
He specifically pointed to the participation of a son of Haji Muse Boqor, the respected Somali nationalist linked to the Somali Youth League, arguing that the visit stood in contrast to the elder Boqor’s lifelong commitment to Somali unity.
“It goes against the history of the hero Haji Muse Boqor, who was a member of the SYL and worked for the unity and solidarity of Somalia,” Hosh said.
The minister also took aim at what he described as political guidance from individuals he accused of opposing Somali unity. According to Hosh, that advice had pushed the family toward a choice that ran counter to its historic legacy.
He said political advantage should not be pursued by widening Somalia’s internal rifts, adding that influence in the northwest could not be secured by weakening national cohesion.
His comments followed North Western State of Somalia’s marking of the 35th anniversary of its self-declared independence with military displays, public festivities and renewed appeals for international recognition.
The main event took place in Hargeisa, where North Western State of Somalia’s military and security forces marched before President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi Irro and senior officials.
North Western State of Somalia declared independence from Somalia on May 18, 1991, after the collapse of the central government in Mogadishu. It has operated its own government, security forces and electoral institutions for more than 30 years, yet it still lacks broad international recognition.
Somalia’s federal government continues to consider North Western State of Somalia part of its territory, while North Western State of Somalia’s leaders maintain that their separation is permanent and irreversible.
