Deputy PM says Mogadishu ready to resume dialogue with Hargeisa

Friday May 29, 2026

Mogadishu (HOL) — Somalia’s federal government reiterated on Thursday it remains ready to resume talks with Somaliland, saying the door to dialogue is still open despite years of stalled negotiations and deep political mistrust.

Deputy Prime Minister Salah Ahmed Jama said in an interview with Dawan Media that Mogadishu still believes a political solution can be reached if negotiations are based on dialogue, consensus and mutual understanding.

“There have been difficult circumstances and external influences that have greatly affected the issue, but our position has always been to resolve the conflict through dialogue,” Jama said.

He said the federal government continues to seek a process based on unity, justice, power-sharing and democracy. He also acknowledged that Somaliland communities have long-standing grievances but said Somalia’s security and political instability over the years had complicated previous reconciliation efforts.

The remarks come amid renewed tension between Mogadishu and Hargeisa, particularly after Somaliland deepened relations with Israel and pursued plans to open an embassy in Jerusalem. Somalia has strongly rejected those moves, saying Somaliland remains part of Somalia’s sovereign territory.

Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 after the collapse of the central government in Mogadishu. It has since maintained its own government, security forces and election institutions, but Somalia’s federal government continues to reject its claim to sovereignty.

Formal talks between federal government and Somaliland began in 2012 after a London conference supported by international partners. The talks were intended to create a peaceful framework for discussing political, security, airspace, aid and future relations between the two sides.

Several rounds of negotiations were later held in Turkey, Djibouti and the United Arab Emirates. The two sides repeatedly signed agreements on cooperation and pledged to continue dialogue, but little progress was made on the central dispute over Somaliland’s political status.

The talks eventually stalled as mistrust deepened. Somaliland has accused the federal government of failing to honor agreed points, while Mogadishu has made similar accusations against Hargeisa.

Jama said external interference and political disputes had further complicated the process but stressed that the federal government’s position remains that dialogue is the only viable path.

The federal government-Somaliland dispute remains one of the Horn of Africa’s most sensitive unresolved political issues. International partners have generally encouraged dialogue between Mogadishu and Hargeisa while maintaining support for Somalia’s unity and territorial integrity.