Somaliland Marks 35 Years Of Self-Declared Independence With Renewed Recognition Push

Somaliland marked the 35th anniversary of its breakaway from Somalia on Monday with military parades, public celebrations and renewed appeals for broader international recognition.

Tens of thousands of people gathered in Hargeisa and other major cities, including Burco and Borama, to commemorate the May 18, 1991, declaration of independence. The date marks Somaliland’s withdrawal from its union with Somalia after the collapse of the central government in Mogadishu.

The main ceremony was held in Hargeisa, where Somaliland’s military and security forces paraded before President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi Irro and other senior officials.

In his speech, Irro said many Somalis had misunderstood Somaliland’s political position, describing Somaliland as “another Somali country” in the region. He said Somaliland still hopes to gain wider international recognition and was extending a hand of friendship to neighboring countries, Arab states and the wider world.

This year’s commemoration differed from previous celebrations. Business groups, private companies and members of the public, who have often played a major role in past parades, were not part of the main march in Hargeisa.

Instead, different sectors of society held separate celebrations over the past 10 days. The main parade was reserved for military and security forces, who displayed equipment as residents and officials watched from the sidelines.

Somaliland has functioned with its own government, constitution, security forces and election institutions for more than three decades. It has also maintained relative internal stability compared with much of Somalia, though it has faced recurring disputes in eastern regions and has not gained broad international recognition.

Israel became the first U.N. member state to formally recognize Somaliland in December 2025, a move welcomed in Hargeisa but strongly rejected by Somalia and the African Union, EU, IGAD, UN. The AU Commission said any recognition of Somaliland undermines Somalia’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Somalia’s federal government continues to regard Somaliland as part of its territory. The African Union and United Nations have encouraged dialogue between Mogadishu and Hargeisa.

Talks between Somalia and Somaliland have stalled in recent years, leaving recognition, security cooperation, airspace management and resource-sharing unresolved.

Ali Hassan, an investigative and a freelance journalist writes from Stadthagen, Germany. [email protected]