Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro has accused Turkey, Egypt and other countries of lobbying against Somaliland’s efforts to secure wider international recognition.
NEW YORK, United States (Somali Report) — Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro has accused Turkey, Egypt and other countries of working diplomatically to prevent Somaliland from securing broader international recognition.
Irro made the remarks during a meeting in New York as he attends events linked to the United Nations General Assembly. He said his administration was facing opposition from a number of African and other governments as it seeks international support for Somaliland's claim to statehood.
“Many African countries and some countries outside Africa are conducting a campaign against the recognition of Somaliland,” Irro said.
The Somaliland president specifically pointed to Turkey, accusing Ankara of engaging with governments across Africa in an effort to discourage them from recognising Somaliland.
According to Irro, diplomatic pressure from countries opposed to Somaliland's recognition has affected governments that his administration believed were prepared to take steps towards recognising the breakaway territory.
He did not name the countries he said were considering recognition, nor did he provide details of specific decisions that he attributed directly to Turkish lobbying.
Irro also identified Egypt as part of what he described as an international campaign against Somaliland's recognition. Cairo has openly rejected Israel's recognition of Somaliland and has reaffirmed its support for Somalia's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
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Israel's recognition of Somaliland in December 2025 marked a major development in the territory's long-running campaign for international recognition. Somalia rejected the move, while Turkey, Egypt and several other countries also opposed it, arguing that Somalia's territorial integrity must be respected.
Somaliland declared that it was leaving its union with Somalia in 1991 and has since operated with its own government, security forces and institutions. However, it has not secured broad international recognition as an independent state.
The territory occupies a strategically important location along the Gulf of Aden, near major maritime routes linking the Red Sea with the Indian Ocean. Its position has contributed to growing international interest in the Horn of Africa and the wider Red Sea region.
Irro said the diplomatic campaign against Somaliland had slowed efforts to gain recognition from countries that his government believed were prepared to establish formal relations.
“Because of that, many countries that wanted to recognise us have not yet done so,” he said.
The president nevertheless expressed confidence that Somaliland's diplomatic campaign would eventually bear fruit, saying his administration would continue working to win international support.
“The truth will come,” Irro said.
His comments highlight the continuing diplomatic dispute over Somaliland's status, with Hargeisa seeking recognition as an independent state while Somalia maintains that Somaliland remains part of its sovereign territory.
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Ahmed Omar is a senior journalist for Somali Report, based in Mogadishu. He has two decades of experience reporting on Somalia for international and local media. He covers politics, security, governance, business, trade, economic developments and regional affairs.
