Sunday February 2, 2025
US fighter jets take off before striking Islamic State group targets in Somalia on February 1, 2025. © US Africa Command via AP
Hargeisa (HOL) — Somaliland has firmly rejected a U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) report claiming that recent airstrikes against ISIS militants targeted its Golis Mountains. Officials clarified that the strikes were conducted in the Galgala Mountains, an area within the Puntland region of Somalia, and not on Somaliland soil.
In a statement released Monday, Somaliland’s Ministry of Defence refuted AFRICOM’s location report, stressing that no U.S. operations have impacted its territory. “Contrary to statements attributed to U.S. Secretary of Defense Peter Hegseth, the airstrikes in question did not target or impact the Golis Mountains within the territory of the Republic of Somaliland,” the ministry said. “Instead, these operations were carried out in the Galgala Mountains, located in Puntland, a region within Somalia.”
The disagreement exemplifies ongoing sensitivities surrounding territorial boundaries in northern Somalia. The Golis mountain range, which extends across Somaliland and Puntland, is often used as a broad geographic term, but Somaliland officials are adamant that the Galgala Mountains, situated near the town of Galgala in the Bari region of Puntland, are entirely outside their jurisdiction.
Somaliland officials argue that maintaining clarity regarding its borders is crucial to preserving its territorial integrity and ongoing quest for international recognition.
Somaliland, a self-declared independent state since 1991, has maintained its own government, military, and administrative systems. Although it lacks international recognition, it is considered one of the most stable regions in the Horn of Africa.
The statement also emphasized Somaliland’s longstanding cooperation with the U.S. on counterterrorism and regional security. “We take this opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to regional peace and security,” the statement said. “Somaliland remains a steadfast partner in the fight against terrorism and extremism, and we continue to collaborate with the international community, including the United States, to promote stability in the Horn of Africa.”