Sunday May 18, 2025
Hargeisa (HOL) — Somaliland marked the 34th anniversary of its self-declared independence from Somalia on Sunday with large-scale celebrations, military parades, and renewed appeals for international recognition.
Tens of thousands of Somalilanders gathered early in the day across major cities, including Hargeisa, Burco, and Borama, to commemorate the May 18, 1991, declaration of independence. The date marks the region’s withdrawal from the Somali union following the collapse of the central government in Mogadishu.
“Somaliland has fulfilled all the benchmarks of a sovereign state,” President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi Irro said during a nationally televised address in Hargeisa. “We have built peace from the ground up, held eight peaceful elections, and created a functioning, democratic government. A recognized Somaliland can help advance peace and rebuild governance in Somalia.”
Irro reviewed military units and addressed a crowd that included top officials, foreign dignitaries, and civilians, many of whom waved flags and sang patriotic songs. He confirmed that Somaliland had recently submitted formal requests for recognition to governments around the world and urged international actors to “seriously consider Somaliland’s case.”
The president defended the decision by the Somali National Movement (SNM) and local clan elders in 1991 to break from the union, calling it “the most correct decision” given the violence and instability that followed elsewhere in Somalia.
“If we had remained part of that union, we would not have achieved the security, democracy, and development we enjoy today,” Cirro said. “We believe our Somali brothers will eventually understand that cooperation can take many forms beyond political unity.”
The weekslong buildup to the anniversary featured cultural performances, art exhibitions, and street parades. Local musicians held nightly shows, while shops and public buildings were decorated with flags and banners in red, white, and green.
Foreign delegations from Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Kenya were present at the ceremonies, though none offered formal diplomatic recognition. Internationally, Somaliland remains outside the African Union, United Nations, and other multilateral forums despite repeated efforts to gain entry.
Though unrecognized, Somaliland has built and maintained a functioning government with a constitution, security forces, and an independent electoral commission. It has also largely maintained internal peace for over three decades and is often praised for its homegrown democratic model in a volatile region.
Somalia’s federal government considers Somaliland an integral part of its territory, and negotiations between the two sides have stalled in recent years. The African Union and United Nations have both encouraged dialogue but have stopped short of endorsing Somaliland’s claim to sovereignty.
“Somaliland was built through internal reconciliation and mutual forgiveness,” Cirro said. “That is a model the world can learn from.”