Tens of thousands of Somalis took to the streets across the country on Tuesday to protest Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, a self-declared breakaway region that Somalia considers part of its sovereign territory.
Large crowds gathered in the capital Mogadishu at the national stadium, where religious leaders led rallies calling for unity and condemning the move as an attack on Somalia’s territorial integrity. Similar demonstrations were reported in Baidoa, Guriel, Dhusamareeb, Las Anod and Buhoodle, with protesters waving Somali flags and chanting slogans rejecting the recognition.
Somalia’s Foreign Minister, Abdisalam Abdi Ali, warned that Israel’s decision could have serious regional consequences. He said the move threatens security in the Horn of Africa and beyond, including the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, and could embolden extremist groups operating in the region.
In Las Anod, demonstrators framed the protests as a show of national solidarity. “I am actually supporting the unity of the Somali people, wherever they are,” said protester Mohamed Ismail. “We’re against all aggression from the Israeli government, especially Benjamin Netanyahu and his Zionist movement.”
Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 but had not been formally recognized by any country until last week. More than 20 nations have since condemned Israel’s move. Somalia also raised the issue at an emergency UN Security Council meeting, arguing that the recognition poses a threat to regional stability, a claim Israel has rejected.
