The Waddani Party has issued a sharp rebuke of the Somali government’s recent directive, which orders money transfer companies to cease using the name “Somaliland.” The move, according to the Waddani Party, risks escalating tensions and could provoke conflict and hostility in the region.
Khadar Hussein Abdi, Secretary-General of the Waddani Party, spoke to the press in Hargeisa, asserting that the Somali government’s decisions would not alter Somaliland’s status.
“Somaliland was not established through mere words or documents; it was built on blood and sacrifice. If necessary, we are prepared to defend it. The removal of the name from a website won’t change Somaliland’s reality,” Abdi stated.
Abdi added that Somaliland’s distinct history and recognized borders, criticizing the Somali government for what he called the politicization of trade and travel. He warned that such actions would only deepen divisions and foster hostility, ultimately doing nothing to change Somaliland’s position.
The directive, issued by Somalia’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry, mandates that all businesses and financial institutions, including major remittance companies such as Paysii, Dahabshiil, and Jubba Express, remove any references to “Somaliland” from their websites and services by September 1.
It has been met with widespread opposition, not only from the Waddani Party but also from the Somaliland government and political opposition. Somaliland’s Information Minister, Ali Hassan Mohamed, known as Ali Marehan, warned companies against complying with the directive, stating that Somaliland would hold any company that adhered to Somalia’s orders accountable.
Abdi said that successive Somali governments have shown animosity toward Somaliland, emphasizing that without a strong military and a united populace, Somaliland would struggle to receive the respect it deserves on the international stage.
Abdi’s statement comes a day after Somaliland’s Minister of Parliamentary Relations, Abdinasir Buuni and Faysal Ali Warabe , chairman of Somaliland’s UCID party, accused the Waddani Party’s presidential candidate, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro, of aligning with Somalia in a bid to weaken Somaliland’s push for independence.
Waddani, however, has strongly denied the allegations from both Buuni and Warabe, labeling them as baseless and politically motivated attempts to undermine the party ahead of the upcoming elections.
Earlier, Somaliland has issued a stern warning to money transfer companies, urging them not to comply with a Somali government directive that demands the removal of all references to “Somaliland” from their services by September 1.
Somaliland’s Information Minister, Ali Hassan Mohamed, also known as Ali Marehan, stated that any company that adheres to Somalia’s order would be considered to have committed an offence against Somaliland.
“Any company that follows the directives from Villa Somalia, or from that small, heavily fortified area beyond Dayniile’s reach, will be violating Somaliland’s sovereignty, and Somaliland will hold them accountable,” Marehan said.
Mogadishu’s directive specifically targets remittance companies like Paysii, Dahabshiil, and Jubba Express, demanding they eliminate any mention of “Somaliland” in their online services. The Somali Ministry of Commerce and Industry justified the move as essential to preserving Somalia’s territorial integrity, warning that non-compliance would result in legal consequences.
Somalia’s demand comes on the heels of its succesful push to compel Ethiopian Airlines and Flydubai, both of which operate flights to Hargeisa, to update their booking platforms to list Hargeisa as part of Somalia.
Somaliland, which declared independence in 1991, operates as a self-declared state but remains unrecognized internationally, leading to ongoing struggles for legitimacy. Somalia, meanwhile, seeks to maintain its territorial integrity, viewing Somaliland as an integral part of its territory.
Ethiopia’s recent agreement with Somaliland, allowing the construction of a naval base and development of a port and transport corridor, has exacerbated these tensions.
