Somaliland rejects Somalia president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s dialogue offer, says it seeks to undermine recognition efforts

HARGEISA (Somaliguardian) – Somaliland’s Minister of Justice, Yonis Ahmed Yonis, on Sunday firmly rejected a renewed offer of dialogue from Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, accusing the Somali leader of inconsistency and arguing that the latest overture is designed to slow Somaliland’s growing drive for international recognition.

The rejection marks the latest escalation in tensions between Hargeisa and Mogadishu and comes days after President Mohamud apologized for rhetoric used by officials within his administration against Somaliland during the height of the dispute that followed the territory’s memorandum of understanding with Ethiopia in early 2024 and its recognition by Israel in late 2025.

Yonis said Somaliland has no basis to trust President Mohamud, describing him as a leader whose positions frequently shift and whose actions do not inspire confidence. He dismissed the Somali president’s latest call for engagement as neither genuine nor reflective of goodwill, portraying the initiative as a political maneuver rather than a sincere effort to bridge differences.

According to the minister, the proposal for talks is intended to “puncture” Somaliland’s momentum toward international recognition and weaken its advancement as a functioning government seeking broader acceptance on the world stage.

His remarks came shortly after President Mohamud announced that his administration would extend what he described as a hand for dialogue to Somaliland in an effort to encourage genuine discussions and reduce tensions between the two sides. The Somali leader also apologized for statements made by some officials in his government, acknowledging that certain remarks had contributed to friction with Somaliland.

Relations between Somaliland and Somalia’s federal government have remained frozen for years. The two sides have not held official talks since President Mohamud returned to office in 2022, despite repeated efforts by regional and international partners to encourage engagement and find common ground.

During his presidential campaign, Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, commonly known as Irro, argued that dialogue with Somalia represented the only viable pathway toward securing international recognition for Somaliland. After assuming office, however, his administration pursued alternative avenues instead of reopening talks with Mogadishu.

That approach ultimately culminated in Somaliland’s recognition by Israel in late 2025, making it the first United Nations member state to formally recognize the territory.

Since then, officials in Hargeisa have increasingly adopted a harder stance toward engagement with Somalia, while exchanges of sharp rhetoric through the media have deepened divisions between the two sides. The widening gulf has also been compounded by actions taken by Somalia’s federal government, including measures related to air traffic control and electronic visas, which Somaliland officials say have imposed significant costs and burdens on travelers from the territory.

With official dialogue absent, trust between the two sides diminished, and political positions appearing further apart than at any point in recent years, the latest exchange underscores the formidable obstacles facing any future effort to restart talks between Hargeisa and Mogadishu.

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