Somalia: Somaliland Launches Institute to Push Recognition Campaign

Horn Diplomat
Historic moment in Jerusalem as Somaliland Ambassador Dr. Mohamed Hagi is welcomed by Israeli President Isaac Herzog during the presentation of credentials, marking a new chapter in Somaliland-Israel diplomatic relations.
19 May 2026
Horn Diplomat (Hargeisa)
By Mohamed Duale

Hargeisa — Somaliland President Dr. Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi Irro on Monday launched a new institute in Hargeisa aimed at documenting Somaliland's history and strengthening its campaign for international recognition.

Speaking during ceremonies marking the 35th anniversary of Somaliland's May 18 restoration of statehood, Irro said the Somaliland Recognition and Independence Institute would focus on historical research, legal advocacy and international engagement linked to Somaliland's recognition efforts.

"Today, from Hargeisa, we are launching the Somaliland Recognition and Independence Institute to strengthen and internationalize Somaliland's case for recognition," President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi Irro said during the inauguration ceremony.

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Irro said the institute had been officially registered in the United Kingdom and would be chaired by Gavin Williamson, a British politician and former U.K. defence secretary who has publicly supported Somaliland's recognition.

The president said more than 2,000 supporters from different countries had joined the initiative and would contribute to its activities and development.

"More than 2,000 friends of Somaliland from across the world are joining this effort to preserve Somaliland's history, document our national struggle, and advance the legal and historical foundations of Somaliland's rightful recognition," he added

Irro said the institute would bring together academics, legal experts and international supporters to promote Somaliland's case globally.

The launch comes as Somaliland intensifies diplomatic outreach following Israel's recognition of Somaliland in December 2025, becoming the first United Nations member state to establish formal diplomatic ties with Somaliland since it restored its statehood in 1991.

Somaliland has maintained its own government, currency, security institutions and democratic electoral system for more than three decades since restoring its statehood in 1991.

(Reporting by Horn Diplomat Desk; Editing by Desk)

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