MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – The government of Somaliland summoned Turkey’s consul general in Hargeisa on Monday in protest over a controversial meeting between the Turkish ambassador to Somalia and a prominent clan leader from Awdal region who has long opposed Somaliland’s claim to independence.
In a sharply worded statement, Somaliland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the meeting with Sultan Wabar, accusing Turkey of undermining the breakaway region’s independence and violating the principle of non-interference.
“The Government of Somaliland considers this act deeply alarming and unacceptable, as it undermines the principle of non-interference, damages mutual respect between Somaliland and Türkiye, and contributes to further instability in the Horn of Africa,” Somaliland Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
“The Government of the Republic of Somaliland demands a formal and urgent explanation from the Government of Türkiye and affirms that Somaliland will not tolerate actions that compromise its sovereignty, security or national interests.”
Photos circulating on social media over the weekend appeared to show Turkey’s ambassador to Somalia meeting with Sultan Wabar, a powerful traditional leader from the Gadabursi clan in Awdal. Wabar is a polarizing figure in Somaliland politics and led an unsuccessful armed insurrection in 2015. His renewed prominence comes amid speculation that the federal government in Mogadishu is working to fragment Somaliland by encouraging separatist sentiment in its peripheral regions.
Mogadishu has been accused of fomenting instability in northern Somalia, most recently by supporting the creation of the Northeastern State of Somalia in Lasanod – an area at the center of a long-standing territorial dispute between Somaliland, Puntland, and local Dhulbahante clans. Somaliland lost control of Lasanod and parts of western Sool region in 2023 after intense clashes with clan militias, significantly weakening its influence in contested areas.
Analysts say the latest tensions in Awdal echo a broader strategy by Somali authorities to isolate the Isaaq-dominated leadership of Somaliland by fostering dissent among non-Isaaq clans such as the Gadabursi in Awdal and the Dhulbahante in Sool and the Warsangeli in Sanaag. The aim, critics argue, is to recast Somaliland as an internally divided, one-clan enclave – thereby undermining its case for international recognition.
Awdal, a region in western Somaliland bordering Djibouti and Ethiopia, has long maintained a delicate relationship with Hargeisa. While the region has generally remained under Somaliland’s control, growing discontent among some Gadabursi leaders has fueled political friction in recent years.
The diplomatic spat with Turkey comes just days after U.S. Senator Ted Cruz publicly urged former President Donald Trump to support formal recognition of Somaliland. Trump, when asked about whether he would recognize the breakaway region, said he would consider it – a statement that has reverberated across the region.
Turkey, which maintains close ties with the Somali federal government in Mogadishu, has not yet responded publicly to Somaliland’s demand for an explanation.
Somaliland, a former British protectorate, declared independence from Somalia in 1991 following the collapse of the central government in Mogadishu. Despite maintaining a stable government and holding multiple peaceful elections, it has yet to gain formal recognition from any sovereign nation.
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