HARGEISA (Somaliguardian) – Somaliland’s Minister of Justice, Yonis Ahmed Yonis, on Sunday firmly rejected a renewed offer of dialogue from Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, accusing the Somali leader of inconsistency and arguing that the latest overture is designed to slow Somaliland’s growing drive for international recognition.
The rejection marks the latest escalation in tensions between Hargeisa and Mogadishu and comes days after President Mohamud apologized for rhetoric used by officials within his administration against Somaliland during the height of the dispute that followed the territory’s memorandum of understanding with Ethiopia in early 2024 and its recognition by Israel in late 2025.
Yonis said Somaliland has no basis to trust President Mohamud, describing him as a leader whose positions frequently shift and whose actions do not inspire confidence. He dismissed the Somali president’s latest call for engagement as neither genuine nor reflective of goodwill, portraying the initiative as a political maneuver rather than a sincere effort to bridge differences.
His remarks came shortly after President Mohamud announced that his administration would extend what he described as a hand for dialogue to Somaliland in an effort to encourage genuine discussions and reduce tensions between the two sides.
