Wednesday May 20, 2026
Mogadishu (HOL) — Somali Interior Minister Ali Yusuf Ali Hosh has criticized a cultural delegation from Puntland for attending Somaliland’s May 18 anniversary celebrations in Hargeisa.
Hosh said it was inappropriate for representatives from Puntland to participate in an event marking Somaliland’s 1991 breakaway from Somalia, which the federal government regards as a challenge to the country’s unity and territorial integrity.
“It goes against the history of the hero Haji Muse Boqor, who was a member of the SYL and worked for the unity and solidarity of Somalia,” Hosh said.
The minister also criticized what he described as political advice from figures he accused of working against Somali unity. He said such advice had led to a decision that conflicted with the family’s historical heritage.
Hosh said political gains should not be sought by deepening Somalia’s divisions, adding that support in the northwest could not be won by undermining national unity.
His remarks came after Somaliland marked the 35th anniversary of its self-declared independence with military parades, public celebrations and renewed calls for international recognition.
The main ceremony was held in Hargeisa, where Somaliland’s military and security forces paraded before President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi Irro and senior officials.
Somaliland declared independence from Somalia on May 18, 1991, after the collapse of the central government in Mogadishu. It has maintained its own government, security forces and electoral institutions for more than three decades but has not received broad international recognition.
Somalia’s federal government continues to regard Somaliland as part of its territory, while Somaliland leaders insist their independence is irreversible.
