From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, December 30, 2025
Thousands rally in Somalia against Israeli recognition of Somaliland
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Large protests break out in several towns and cities across Somalia in opposition to Israel’s recognition of the breakaway region of Somaliland.
Israel announced on Friday that it viewed Somaliland — which declared independence in 1991 but has never been recognized by any other country — as an “independent and sovereign state.”
Thousands of protesters march through the streets of Somali capital Mogadishu and gather at a stadium, waving placards with anti-Israeli slogans alongside Somali and Palestinian flags.
“We will never allow anyone to violate our sovereignty,” one attendee, Adan Muhidin, tells AFP, adding that Israel’s move is “a blatant violation of international law.”
Demonstrations also take place in Lascanod in the northeast, Guriceel in central Somalia, and Baidoa in the southwest.
“There is nothing we have in common with Israel. We say to the people of Somaliland, don’t bring them close to you,” says Sheikh Ahmed Moalim, a local religious leader, in Guriceel.
Somaliland has long been a haven of stability and democracy in the conflict-scarred country, with its own money, passport, and army. It also has a strategic position on the Gulf of Aden that makes it an attractive trade and military partner for regional and international allies.
The Times of Israel Community.