Somaliland President Addresses the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) in New York

Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi “Irro” delivered a historic address in New York at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), one of the United States’ most influential institutions for the study and analysis of foreign policy.

At the CFR, President Irro presented Somaliland’s perspective directly, emphasizing that for the past 35 years, Somaliland has been a peaceful, democratic and self-governing state that has responsibly contributed to stability in the region.

The President stressed that Somaliland has fulfilled the fundamental requirements of statehood and is not seeking recognition as an act of charity or as a form of aid. Rather, he said Somaliland is seeking recognition of the statehood it has built and the sovereignty it regained in 1960.

He also highlighted that recognizing Somaliland is not merely a historical matter, but a strategic opportunity that could strengthen trade, investment, job creation and security in the Horn of Africa, particularly by contributing to the protection of one of the world’s most important maritime corridors.

President Irro further emphasized that Somaliland is a democratic country that has established lasting peace and stability in a region affected by conflict and insecurity, yet remains excluded from having a formal voice in the international community. He argued that Somalia, which has struggled to establish effective self-governance for more than three decades, continues to use its membership in the United Nations to oppose and pressure the people of Somaliland.

In conclusion, the President presented the international community with a fundamental diplomatic question: whether it will continue supporting a diplomatic approach that, in Somaliland’s view, has failed to deliver lasting peace and stability, or recognize the reality of Somaliland as a peaceful, democratic state prepared to advance shared global economic and security interests.