Hundreds of people gathered late Sunday at the Taleh junction in Mogadishu to protest Israel’s decision to recognize Somaliland, a self-declared breakaway region of Somalia, as an independent state, witnesses and officials said.
Demonstrators waved Somali flags and chanted slogans rejecting what they described as a violation of Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The protest took place in Hodan district, a busy area of the capital, and ended without reports of violence.
Several participants told state media they were expressing solidarity with the federal government and opposition to Israel’s move, which has triggered widespread condemnation across Somalia and from regional and international organisations.
“We are here to show our rejection of the violation committed against our country,” one protester said.
Banadir regional youth chairman Omar Farouq said the demonstration reflected public anger over the decision. “Somali youth are united in defending the country’s sovereignty,” he said.
Another participant, Burhan Ahmed Roble, said residents of Mogadishu had gathered to express their opposition to Israel’s stance.
Israel announced on Dec. 26 that it had recognized Somaliland, which declared independence from Somalia in 1991 but has never been recognized by the United Nations. Somalia’s federal government has dismissed the move as illegal and void, saying it contravenes international law and established principles protecting state borders.
The protest comes as Somalia intensifies diplomatic efforts to rally international opposition to the recognition, with the African Union, Arab League and several governments reaffirming support for Somalia’s unity.
Somalia is due to assume the rotating presidency of the United Nations Security Council in January, a role officials say they will use to raise the issue at the global level.
