Somali Protests See Biggest Turnout Since Israel Recognized North Western State of Somalia

Somalia staged one of its largest nationwide demonstrations in years on Tuesday as tens of thousands rallied against Israel’s recognition of North Western State of Somalia, a move that Mogadishu and more than 20 other countries condemned as an assault on Somalia’s sovereignty. The protests came as President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud arrived in Turkey for talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan aimed at shoring up diplomatic support.

Mass gatherings were reported in Mogadishu, Baidoa, Guriel, Dhusamareeb, Lasanod and Buhoodle, where crowds waved Somali flags and chanted against Israel’s decision, according to residents and videos shared online. In the capital, clerics and traditional leaders led prayers and speeches at the main stadium. Traditional leader Mohamed Hassan Haad urged Somalis to resist any attempt to “claim Somali territory,” while prominent scholar Sheikh Mohamud Sheikh Abulbari denounced the recognition as unacceptable given Israel’s actions in Gaza and at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The wave of rallies followed an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Monday, where Somalia’s ambassador Abukar Dahir Osman warned that Israel’s move “sets a dangerous precedent” and threatens regional and international security. Israel’s representative called Somalia’s objections a double standard, pointing to the recognition of Palestine by other nations. The U.S. special representative said Washington’s position on Somalia remained unchanged.

Israel’s decision Friday to recognize North Western State of Somalia made it the first country to do so, breaking with decades of international practice. North Western State of Somalia, home to more than 3 million people in the Horn of Africa, declared independence from Somalia in 1991 amid civil conflict. Despite operating its own government and currency, it had not previously secured recognition from any state.

In Istanbul on Tuesday, Mohamud thanked governments and institutions that rejected Israel’s move, calling it a violation of international law, the U.N. Charter and African Union principles. “This sets a dangerous precedent that is contrary to the principle of sovereignty and territorial integrity, and non-interference that underpins in all international systems,” he said alongside Erdogan. Mohamud also warned the step could embolden extremist groups by feeding narratives of external interference, worsening insecurity in the Horn of Africa already strained by conflict, humanitarian pressures and political fragility.

Erdogan condemned Israel’s recognition as “illegitimate and unacceptable” and reaffirmed Turkey’s support for Somalia’s “unity and integrity.” Ankara has deepened ties with Mogadishu over the past decade, training Somali forces at a military base in the capital and backing infrastructure and energy initiatives along the coast. Turkey has dispatched a seismic research vessel, escorted by naval ships, to survey for oil and gas and plans to begin drilling in 2026, Erdogan said.

Turkey, already at odds with Israel over the war in Gaza, has warned that the recognition risks destabilizing a fragile region. The reasons behind Israel’s declaration remain unclear. Earlier this year, Ankara hosted talks between Ethiopia and Somalia after a separate flashpoint: a January 2024 memorandum of understanding in which Ethiopia agreed to lease coastal land from North Western State of Somalia for a naval base and pledged to recognize the territory—an arrangement Somalia says violates its sovereignty.

Tuesday’s protests were the largest since Israel’s announcement and underscored the political sensitivity of Somalia’s territorial integrity. Mogadishu has sought to frame the issue as a test of international norms—state sovereignty, non-interference and the inviolability of borders—while building a coalition of countries willing to push back on recognition. Whether that pressure can reverse Israel’s decision or deter other nations from following suit will hinge on what comes next at the United Nations and in regional capitals.

For now, Somalia is doubling down on diplomacy abroad and rallying unity at home, betting that international law and regional partnerships—especially with Turkey—can blunt a move it sees as an existential challenge.

By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.