Tuesday August 19, 2025
Hargeisa (HOL) — Somaliland has accused Turkey of meddling
in its internal affairs after the Turkish ambassador to Somalia met Sultan
Abubakar Wabar, a traditional leader linked by Hargeisa to past unrest in the
Awdal region.
Somaliland’s foreign minister, Abdirahman Dahir Aden, on
Monday summoned Turkey’s consul general in Hargeisa, demanding an explanation
for what he called “unacceptable interference.” A ministry statement said the
meeting in Mogadishu amounted to a direct threat to Somaliland’s security and
stability.
“The government of the Republic of Somaliland considers this
action to be a clear and unacceptable interference,” the statement read. “The
government has officially demanded that the Turkish ambassador provide an
immediate and satisfactory explanation.”
The controversy erupted after photos circulated online of
Sultan Wabar meeting Somali Defense Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi in Mogadishu.
Fiqi posted a picture of himself with the sultan on X, formerly Twitter, with
the caption: “The time for Awdal has come.” Many interpreted the remark as
signaling potential federal government support for development projects in
Awdal, a region in western Somaliland where some elites have called for closer
ties with Mogadishu.
Somaliland authorities view such moves as part of efforts to
weaken its self-declared independence, which the federal government in
Mogadishu does not recognize. Turkey, a close ally of Somalia, has long backed
the federal government, though it has also hosted talks between Mogadishu and
Hargeisa in an effort to mediate.
Sultan Wabar, who once commanded a small group of fighters,
clashed with Somaliland forces in 2015 before his men surrendered. He fled the
country but remains a symbolic figure for Awdal groups opposed to Somaliland’s
authority.