Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi (Cirro) has defended his government’s decision to open an embassy in Jerusalem after the KAAH Party became the first political party to publicly oppose the move, arguing it violates the Constitution and could damage ties with the Muslim world.
HARGEISA (Somali Report) — Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi (Cirro) has defended his government’s decision to open an embassy in Jerusalem after the KAAH Party became the first political party to publicly oppose the move, arguing that critics are effectively standing against Somaliland’s international recognition.
Speaking Tuesday during the opening of the Waddani Party’s Central Committee meeting in Hargeisa, President Cirro rejected claims that establishing a diplomatic mission in Jerusalem violates Somaliland’s Constitution.
“Anyone who says they oppose opening an embassy in Jerusalem is openly opposing Somaliland’s recognition,” the president said, delivering his strongest response yet to growing domestic criticism over the landmark diplomatic decision.
The remarks came one day after the opposition KAAH Party accused the government of violating Article 10 of Somaliland’s Constitution, which governs foreign relations and commits Somaliland to respecting international law while recognizing its historical ties to the Arab world, Africa, and the Islamic community.
KAAH’s Foreign Affairs Secretary, Barkhad Mahmoud Kaariye, argued that the government should have opened an embassy elsewhere in Israel rather than in Jerusalem because of the city’s disputed international status.
While the party said it welcomed diplomatic relations with Israel and supported efforts to secure international recognition for Somaliland, it maintained that opening the embassy in Jerusalem risked creating unnecessary diplomatic tensions with Muslim-majority countries and contradicted constitutional principles.
Responding to those concerns, President Cirro said critics were ignoring an important distinction.
He argued that Jerusalem consists of eastern and western sectors and said Somaliland’s diplomatic mission had been established in West Jerusalem, which he described as Israel’s recognized seat of government.
“Jerusalem has two parts—East and West. Somaliland’s embassy has been opened in West Jerusalem,” he said.
The president also challenged opposition figures to clarify their position, saying it was inconsistent to welcome Israel’s recognition of Somaliland while rejecting the location of Somaliland’s diplomatic mission.
“I call on those who oppose the embassy but support recognition to make their position clear to the Somaliland people,” he said.
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The dispute has become the first significant political challenge to Somaliland’s rapidly expanding relationship with Israel following Israel’s decision to recognize Somaliland as an independent state earlier this year.
President Cirro’s official visit to Israel resulted in the inauguration of Somaliland’s first embassy there and agreements aimed at expanding cooperation in trade, investment, security, technology, agriculture, and infrastructure.
Government officials argue that Israel’s recognition represents one of the most significant diplomatic achievements in Somaliland’s more than three-decade campaign for international recognition and could encourage other countries to follow suit.
Supporters of the government’s policy say stronger ties with Israel are based on Somaliland’s national interests rather than ideology and are intended to diversify the territory’s diplomatic partnerships.
However, the decision has generated criticism beyond Somaliland.
Somalia’s federal government has repeatedly condemned Somaliland’s independent diplomatic initiatives, insisting Somaliland remains part of Somalia’s sovereign territory.
Several Arab and Muslim-majority countries have also criticized the opening of diplomatic missions in Jerusalem because of the city’s disputed status under international law and its central role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Despite the criticism, President Cirro signaled that his administration has no intention of reconsidering the decision.
His remarks suggest Somaliland will continue pursuing closer relations with Israel as part of its broader strategy to secure additional international recognition, even as debate over the Jerusalem embassy intensifies at home.
With KAAH becoming the first political party to openly challenge the move, the controversy is expected to remain one of the defining foreign policy debates of Cirro’s presidency and could shape Somaliland’s diplomatic direction in the months ahead.
About the Author
Fatuma Taxadar Yusuf is the Editor-in-Chief of Somali Report. She was the first woman to serve as an editor and media managing director in Somalia’s Puntland State. Previously, she worked with the BBC World Service and other leading media organizations in Somalia. She also serves as Deputy Chairperson of the Somalia Media Council, an independent body that regulates media standards and professional conduct in Somalia.
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