Somaliland Government Rejected Mogadishu’s Fragile Authority Assertion Over Upcoming Elections in Somaliland

Hargeisa, Somaliland, October 04th, 2024 – The Government of the Republic of Somaliland strongly condemns the recent comments made by the Mogadishu administration at the United Nations regarding Somaliland’s upcoming presidential and political party elections. These remarks are baseless and reflect a continued attempt by an illegitimate administration to undermine the democratic rights and sovereignty of the people of Somaliland.

The administration in Mogadishu, which controls a fraction of its territory and is plagued by insecurity, with much of its land dominated by Al-Shabaab militants, has no legitimacy or authority to speak on the internal affairs of Somaliland. The so-called government in Mogadishu has failed time and again to hold any credible, transparent, or inclusive electoral process. It is laughable for such a regime—where no citizen participation or one-person-one-vote elections have occurred for decades—to comment on Somaliland’s well-established democratic system.

Somaliland, a nation with a proud tradition of democracy, will once again demonstrate its commitment to its people’s right to self-determination. The Somaliland people will elect their president and new political parties through free and fair elections in November 13 2024. The Mogadishu regime has no role to play in this process and no say over Somaliland’s future.

We urge the Mogadishu administration to focus on its own internal crises, restore security, and ensure the basic governance of its own territory rather than issuing statements on matters outside of its control. The Republic of Somaliland will continue on its path of democracy, stability, and development, and we will not allow any external interference to distract us from that goal.