Mogadishu (Somalia Today) – The president of Somalia’s northwestern breakaway region of Somaliland has accused Britain of double standards for recognising Palestine while refusing to recognise his self-declared republic.
President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, widely known as Irro, told The Telegraph that Somaliland expected support from Britain because of its historical ties with London, its elections and its relative stability since declaring independence from Somalia in 1991.
“Our relationship with Britain is unshakeable, but we expect Britain to recognise us,” he said. “If Britain supports human rights, freedom of speech and democratic stability, it should give us its support.”
Somaliland was a British protectorate before gaining independence in 1960 and later uniting with the former Italian-administered Somalia.
Hargeisa restored its claim to independence in 1991 after the collapse of Somalia’s central government, but no broad international recognition followed.
Somalia says Somaliland remains part of its sovereign territory and has repeatedly warned foreign governments against taking any step that could legitimise secession.
‘Double standards’
Irro accused Britain of inconsistency, arguing that London had recognised the State of Palestine while refusing to recognise Somaliland.
He said Somaliland met the statehood tests set out in the Montevideo Convention, including a permanent population, defined territory, a functioning government and the capacity to conduct relations with other states.
Somaliland officials have long argued that Hargeisa has built more stable institutions than many recognised states, pointing to repeated elections, its own security forces, a parliament, courts and a separate currency.
But Britain has maintained that Somaliland’s status should be resolved through talks between Mogadishu and Hargeisa. London continues to support Somalia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and unity, a position also backed by the African Union and most Western governments.
That position has frustrated Somaliland leaders, who argue that decades of self-rule should count for more than the international community’s commitment to Somalia’s inherited borders.
The issue has become more sensitive since Israel recognised Somaliland’s independence, a move Somalia rejected as a violation of its sovereignty. The decision also alarmed regional and international actors already concerned about the militarisation of the Red Sea corridor.
Irro defended Hargeisa’s ties with Israel.
“From the beginning, our relationship has been open, frank and friendly,” he told The Telegraph. “Those criticising us can mind their own business. I will make an official visit to Jerusalem this year.”
Red Sea stakes
Somaliland’s location has given the recognition dispute new strategic importance.
Its coastline faces the Gulf of Aden and sits near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the narrow passage linking the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean.
The waterway has become increasingly important since Yemen’s Houthi movement began targeting shipping, forcing global powers to reassess military access and port security across the region.
Berbera, Somaliland’s main port, has also gained attention after major investment from DP World. Hargeisa hopes the port can become a trade gateway for landlocked Ethiopia and a strategic alternative to Djibouti, where China and the United States both have major security interests.
The Telegraph cited analysts who said Washington was studying options in Somaliland as part of wider efforts to limit Chinese influence in the Red Sea.
“This is a grand strategic game as Washington tries to contain China in the Red Sea,” regional analyst Rashid Abdi told the newspaper. “Hormuz has underlined the importance of waterways.”
He said some figures in Washington were pushing recognition because they feared Beijing could gain greater leverage over the Bab al-Mandab corridor.
Somaliland has also built close ties with the United Arab Emirates, whose logistics and port interests in Berbera have strengthened Hargeisa’s regional position. Turkey, Qatar, China and Gulf states are also competing for influence across Somalia and the wider Horn of Africa.
Risk of escalation
Despite Somaliland’s diplomatic campaign, recognition remains politically explosive.
Somalia says any recognition of Somaliland would breach its sovereignty and threaten regional stability. The African Union has also resisted changes to colonial-era borders, fearing that support for one secessionist claim could embolden others across the continent.
Somaliland’s territorial claim also faces challenges in eastern areas, where the North East State administration, formerly Khatumo State, controls large swathes of land and aligns itself with Somalia’s federal system, undermining Hargeisa’s argument that it exercises uncontested authority over all the territory it claims.
Omar Mahmood, a senior Horn of Africa analyst at the International Crisis Group, told The Telegraph that Britain had an interest in maintaining relations with both Somalia and Somaliland without choosing sides.
“There’s no need to choose a side,” he said. “From a security perspective, Britain has interests both in Somalia, which is threatened by al-Shabaab, and Somaliland.”
He warned that recognition could worsen tensions.
“I don’t think jumping the gun on recognising Somaliland is helpful,” Mahmood said. “It would create a proxy conflict, which is a dangerous route to go down.”
For Hargeisa, however, the argument is shifting. Somaliland no longer presents recognition only as a historical grievance or democratic reward. It now casts it as a strategic decision tied to shipping lanes, military access and Red Sea security.
For Mogadishu, that makes the issue more dangerous, not less. Somali officials fear that foreign recognition would not settle Somaliland’s status but would instead turn a long-running internal dispute into a wider regional confrontation.
