'Somalia cannot be conquered': President Mohamud slams Israel

Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has once again issued a strong warning against Israel’s ‘‘interference’’ in his country’s internal affairs, declaring that the country’s sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity are non-negotiable.

“I once again address the leadership of Israel. Somalia is not a country that can be occupied, divided, or bought. You will neither impose your will on us nor achieve the ambitions you seek,” President Mohamud said in a televised address on Thursday.

The comments by President Mohamud come after Israel became the first country to recognise Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland as an independent state in December and a visit by Israeli foreign minister to the region earlier this week.

“These actions will only further increase the political and diplomatic isolation you (Israel) already face in the international community,” he said.

Hassan Sheikh expressed serious concern over what he described as the growing exposure of the Somaliland administration to foreign ambitions, adding that recent efforts to seek recognition from Israel reveal dangerous vulnerabilities.

“Today, it has once again become clear how susceptible the Hargeisa administration is to external agendas,” he noted.

The Somali president underscored that Israel’s international standing, particularly due to its genocidial war against Palestinians, makes its engagement in Somalia morally and politically troubling.

“Israel itself is internationally isolated and widely condemned for the displacement, destruction, and killing of the Palestinian people; crimes that have deeply saddened all people of conscience,” the President said.

Israel’s goal is ‘expansion’

Reaffirming Somalia’s constitutional position, President Hassan Sheikh stressed that the Federal Republic of Somalia remains a single, indivisible state.

“Somalia is a free, united nation whose territory cannot be altered by any paper written in Tel Aviv or by the signature of Prime Minister Netanyahu,” he said, adding that “no external actor has the authority to redraw our national boundaries.”

“This so-called recognition is not about the welfare of our people living in those regions,” Mohamud said.

“It is about Israel’s strategic interests, seeking land for expansion, relocating displaced Palestinians, and establishing military bases that threaten the stability of the Horn of Africa, the Gulf of Aden, the Red Sea, and the wider Middle East.”

President Hassan Sheikh warned that failure to manage the situation wisely could have far-reaching consequences.

“If this matter is not handled with prudence and national responsibility, it could negatively affect our economy, development efforts, and political stability,” he cautioned.

Addressing Somali citizens in the northern regions directly, the President emphasised that legitimacy cannot be granted by foreign governments.

“Recognition does not come from Netanyahu or any external power,” he said. “It comes from the Somali state and the Somali people, with whom you share faith, culture, history, and citizenship.”

Mohamud urges national unity

He further warned residents that their territories could be turned into platforms for foreign military operations.

“Your lands are being targeted to become bases from which wars against other countries could be launched, conflicts you have no role in and no interest in,” he said.

The President urged Somalis not to dismiss these risks.

“Do not be misled into believing these threats are imaginary,” he warned. “They are real, and today you have the opportunity to reject them, tomorrow it may be too late to say we did not know,’’ President Mohamud said.

Reiterating his message to Israeli leaders, President Hassan Sheikh concluded: “Somalia cannot be conquered, divided, or purchased. You will not achieve your objectives here, and these attempts will only deepen your isolation.”

“I extend my sincere gratitude to the Somali people everywhere for standing firmly against these dangerous actions,” he said.

“Let it be clear: Somalia will not legitimise Israel’s ambitions. We remain committed to defending our unity, sovereignty, and independence, and we are prepared to sacrifice whatever is necessary to protect them.”