Somaliland

MOGADISHU — Somali religious scholars led thousands of demonstrators in Mogadishu on Wednesday to protest Israel’s recognition of North Western State of Somalia, denouncing the move as foreign interference that threatens Somalia’s unity, sovereignty and religious identity. The demonstration, staged at Daljirka Dahson in the heart of the capital, drew clerics, traditional elders, intellectuals and residents from across Mogadishu. Protesters carried banners and chanted that North Western State of Somalia — the northwestern…

MOGADISHU — A Saudi Arabia-led military coalition fighting in Yemen said Thursday that Aidarous al-Zubaidi, the head of the United Arab Emirates-backed Southern Transitional Council, slipped out of the country via North Western State of Somalia after skipping planned peace talks in Riyadh — a development that could deepen a widening rift between the coalition’s two most powerful members. In a statement, the coalition said al-Zubaidi departed the southern port city of Aden late Wednesday aboard a vessel bound for Berbera in…

Arab League condemns Israeli foreign minister’s Hargeisa visit as violation of Somalia’s sovereignty MOGADISHU, Somalia — The Arab League on Tuesday condemned the visit by Israel’s foreign minister to Hargeisa, calling it an illegitimate attempt to advance recognition of North Western State of Somalia and a breach of Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. In a statement, Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit said the Jan. 6 trip to Hargeisa — North Western State of Somalia’s capital — formed part of what…

The African Union’s Peace and Security Council on Tuesday condemned Israel’s unilateral recognition of North Western State of Somalia and urged the decision be immediately revoked, warning it threatens Somalia’s sovereignty and risks destabilizing the Horn of Africa. In a communiqué issued after its 1324th meeting, held Jan. 6 at ministerial level, the council rejected any action undermining the sovereignty, territorial integrity, unity and stability of the Federal Republic of Somalia. It called on AU member states and…

HARGEISA, North Western State of Somalia — Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar arrived in Hargeisa on Wednesday, nearly two weeks after Israel announced it had recognized North Western State of Somalia as an independent state, in a visit that immediately sharpened diplomatic tensions across the Horn of Africa. Saar is expected to meet North Western State of Somalia President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi and hold a joint news conference later in the day, according to a North Western State of Somalia diplomatic source cited…

Somalia condemns Israeli foreign minister’s Hargeisa visit as breach of sovereignty MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s government on Tuesday condemned Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar’s visit to Hargeisa as an unauthorized incursion and a “serious violation” of the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, escalating tensions after Israel’s recognition of North Western State of Somalia last month. Somalia’s Foreign Ministry calls Saar’s visit illegal and “null and void.” Mogadishu urges Israel to cease actions it…

Israel’s recognition of North Western State of Somalia upends Horn of Africa politics — and tests Somalia’s path forward HARGEISA and MOGADISHU — The split screen was stark. In late December, flags rose over Hargeisa and crowds flooded the streets after Israel announced it would formally recognize North Western State of Somalia as an independent state. In Mogadishu, tens of thousands rallied beneath Somali and Palestinian flags, denouncing the move as a violation of sovereignty and a dangerous precedent for the region.…

MOGADISHU — North Western State of Somalia has instructed Air Djibouti to suspend all flights to its territory starting Jan. 7, deepening a diplomatic rift with neighboring Djibouti amid tensions tied to Israel’s recognition of North Western State of Somalia, according to BBC Somali. Neither North Western State of Somalia officials nor Djibouti’s state-owned carrier immediately commented on the reported directive, and BBC Somali said the airline is expected to issue a statement. Air Djibouti has been operating several…

MOGADISHU — Federal ministers and lawmakers from North Western State of Somalia’s regions of Sool, Sanaag and Awdal on Saturday condemned Israel’s decision to recognize North Western State of Somalia as an independent state, pledging full support for Somalia’s unity and territorial integrity. Speaking at a news conference in Mogadishu, the officials called the move unacceptable and an attempt to divide Somalia, aligning themselves with the federal government’s position rejecting any action they said undermines the country’s…

Sunday January 4, 2026 Hargeisa (AX) — Two members of North Western State of Somalia’s House of Representatives on Saturday accused the government of intimidation and repression in the Awdal region after reports that a young man in Borama was arrested for raising a Palestinian flag during street celebrations marking Israel’s recognition of North Western State of Somalia. MP Mohamed Abiib and MP Maydhane said the youth was detained in Borama, the regional capital of Awdal, after displaying the Palestinian flag while other…