KAAH party rules out future talks with Somalia, accuses Mogadishu of interference

Somaliland’s largest opposition party, KAAH, has rejected any future dialogue with Somalia, accusing the federal government in Mogadishu of interfering in Somaliland’s internal affairs through the creation of the Northeastern Administration.

KAAH Chairman Mahmoud Hashi Abdi said the new administration announced by Somalia is “unrealistic and politically unsustainable,” warning that it will only deepen clan divisions in the disputed Sool region rather than foster unity.

“The Sool region is large and shared among several clans — no single community exclusively inhabits it,” Hashi told BBC Somali in an interview. “The Somali government’s decision only widens divisions between the brotherly people of the region and the Somali nation at large.”

Hashi acknowledged that residents of Sool have the right to express their political views but argued that the proposed Northeastern Administration lacks the geographical base to operate effectively. He said the claimed territory includes Las Anod, Hudun, Taleh, and Aynaba, noting that Hudun is shared by multiple clans while Aynaba is not inhabited by the group backing the new administration.

“We do not believe in holding further talks with Somalia,” Hashi added. “A believer is not bitten twice from the same hole. We have negotiated before but failed to reach agreement even on the most basic issues.”

Earlier this month, Somaliland’s government announced it had permanently withdrawn from dialogue with Somalia, accusing Mogadishu of violating its sovereignty by interfering in territories it considers part of Somaliland.

Formal talks between Somalia and Somaliland began in 2012, initially hosted in London and later held in Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Djibouti. Despite more than a decade of intermittent dialogue, the two sides have not reached a binding agreement on Somaliland’s political status.

The dispute over the newly formed Northeastern Administration has further strained relations, underscoring the widening rift between Hargeisa and Mogadishu as both sides harden their political positions.