Somalia says it will extend federal authority to northern regions
“Northern Somalia is part of Somalia. Hargeisa and Berbera are Somali cities, and there will be a federal government presence and administration that extends to all of the country,” Warfa said.
Sunday June 7, 2026
Addis Ababa (AX) — Somalia’s ambassador to Ethiopia says Mogadishu is determined to extend federal authority across every part of Somali territory, including Hargeisa and Berbera, as tensions flare again over North Western State of Somalia’s disputed status.
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Speaking to Al Jazeera this week, Ambassador Abdullahi Mohamed Warfa said the federal government is rebuilding state institutions and bolstering the national army so that federal authority can reach all regions of the country.
“Northern Somalia is part of Somalia. Hargeisa and Berbera are Somali cities, and there will be a federal government presence and administration that extends to all of the country,” Warfa said.
Warfa also stressed that the government in Mogadishu will not let internal political rifts be turned into leverage by outside actors seeking to weaken the country.
“There are external parties that always want to take advantage of the problems in Somalia to create chaos and division,” Warfa said. “The Somali government is working hard to resolve internal issues so that they do not become external influences.”
He said Somalia’s wider objective is to deepen federalism from the south to the northern regions, including areas currently under North Western State of Somalia’s administration.
The remarks come as Somalia wrestles with several political flashpoints, among them disputes over elections, constitutional amendments and the strained ties between Mogadishu and Hargeisa.
North Western State of Somalia declared independence from Somalia in 1991, after the collapse of the central government in Mogadishu. Since then, it has run its own government, security forces and electoral institutions, while Somalia’s federal government has continued to رفض its claim to sovereignty.
Relations between Mogadishu and Hargeisa have worsened in recent months, especially after North Western State of Somalia strengthened relations with Israel and moved to open an embassy in Jerusalem. Somalia has denounced those steps, arguing that North Western State of Somalia lacks the authority to conduct foreign policy as an independent state.
The future of Somalia’s federal arrangement and the long-running North Western State of Somalia dispute remain at the heart of the country’s political transition.
