As 18 May nears, Somaliland’s President Irro rallies ministers around security, decentralization, and diplomatic strength—signaling a nation ready for global recognition.

( R ) President Dr. Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro chaired the 20th Cabinet session alongside Vice President Mohamed Ali Aw Abdi At the Presidential Palace in Hargeisa

President Irro leads a landmark Cabinet session reaffirming Somaliland’s unity, launching a decentralization overhaul, and preparing for the 34th anniversary of sovereignty with global eyes watching.

Sovereignty in Motion: Irro’s Cabinet Fires on All Fronts Ahead of 18 May

Somaliland’s government has issued its boldest statement yet: the 34th anniversary of sovereignty won’t just be a celebration—it will be a message to the world.

At the Presidential Palace in Hargeisa, President Dr. Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro chaired the 20th Cabinet session alongside Vice President Mohamed Ali Aw Abdi, unleashing a sweeping series of reforms, security assurances, and diplomatic signals that Somaliland is stable, sovereign, and ready for global engagement.

The Council made one thing clear: 18 May is not just a flag-waving day — it’s the living heartbeat of a people who chose peace, democracy, and independence over chaos. From the villages of Sanaag to the diaspora in Toronto and Oslo, it’s the date that defines a nation without recognition but not without resolve.

Interior Minister Abdalle Carab delivered a blunt yet reassuring update: national security holds firm.

Interior Minister Abdalle Carab

While routine crimes and rising road accidents need fixing, the overall picture is one of rare regional stability — an asset Somaliland is determined to defend.

Finance Minister Abdillahi Adan’s fiscal report showed growing GST revenue, fueling optimism that Somaliland’s economy is maturing — not in theory, but in hard numbers.

Finance Minister Abdillahi Adan

Ministers were told to double down on tax reform and widen the base.

But the heart of the session? Defense Minister Mohamed Yusuf’s explosive briefing. Civilian force integration is accelerating.

Defense Minister Mohamed Yusuf

The peace drive in Ceel-Afweyn is showing results. And a historic digital registration of the military is now underway, marking a leap in modernization unseen in much of East Africa. He credited Irro’s iron-willed leadership for making it possible.

A measles outbreak, reported by Health Minister Dr. Hussein Bashir, raised alarms — but immediate child vaccinations and awareness drives have been rolled out.

Health Minister Dr. Hussein Bashir

The Cabinet vowed no child will be left behind.

Meanwhile, a high-stakes investment mission to the UAE—led by Minister Saeed Buraale—showcased Somaliland’s hunger for global partnerships beyond the aid narrative. DP World’s lessons on port management will soon be replicated back home.

But the most ambitious announcement came last: decentralization.

President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro

President Irro is forming a high-level committee to constitutionally anchor political devolution and budgetary power to the regions. It’s not just administrative — it’s a power shift. One designed to defeat marginalization and anchor real democracy from the grassroots up.

With 18 May approaching, the message is thunderous: Somaliland is not just commemorating the past. It is preparing to lead the future.

Sacred or Symbolic? The Fierce Battle Over Somaliland’s Flag and Faith. A top cleric slams the misuse of the Shahada on the national flag—sparking a fiery debate about Islam, secularism, and national identity.

As Somaliland prepares for its annual May 18 independence celebrations, a cultural and political storm is brewing. The cause? A growing public dispute over the use—and perceived misuse—of the Islamic declaration of faith, the Shahada, on the national flag.

What began as a clerical warning has evolved into a full-blown identity debate. It’s not just about symbols. It’s about what kind of country Somaliland is becoming.

The Flag and the Faith

The flag of Somaliland features the Islamic Tawheed (“La ilaha illallah, Muhammadur rasulullah”)—the core creed of the Muslim faith. To many, it is a proud marker of Somaliland’s Islamic identity. But for Sheikh Mustafa Haji Ismail Harun, one of Somaliland’s most influential clerics, the way this sacred phrase is being used borders on desecration.

In a viral video, Sheikh Mustafa decried the flag’s casual use—particularly by young women wearing it wrapped around their waists or in TikTok clips. “It is ugly,” he said bluntly. His concern: a religious text is being treated as a fashion statement.

His words ignited a wildfire.

The Split: Reverence or Overreach?

Some rallied to the Sheikh’s defense, calling for more respect toward Islamic symbols. Others pushed back hard, accusing him of overreach and fearmongering. For them, the Shahada isn’t just a religious phrase—it’s a pillar of national pride.

And then came politics.

Presidency Minister Khadar Hussein Abdi, trying to defuse the situation, recommended that flag producers omit the Shahada from May 18 celebrations—at least temporarily. His message: preserve respect without stirring more tension.

But even that modest suggestion sparked outrage. Critics called it a betrayal of the flag, a soft step toward secularism, or worse, an appeasement to online outrage.

From Flag to Identity Crisis

What started as a religious debate quickly escalated into something deeper. Online, particularly on X (formerly Twitter), the conversation turned toxic. It revealed:

A growing secular vs. Islamic tension, especially among youth in urban areas like Hargeisa.

Disputes over Somaliland’s national identity, with some arguing it is an artificial project clashing with pan-Somali or pan-Islamic values.

Polarized views on religious authority, with some defending clerics like Sheikh Mustafa while others warned against theocratic overreach.

Ethnic undertones, with some resorting to accusations of being “Oromo” or “non-Somalilander” to dismiss dissenting views.

All of this is playing out in real-time across social media, where emotion often trumps nuance and outrage is rewarded with virality.

What’s Actually at Stake

This debate isn’t just about a flag. It’s about what kind of state Somaliland wants to be.

Can a country simultaneously be a democratic republic and an explicitly Islamic one? Can its symbols belong to everyone while also holding sacred value for the faithful? And who gets to decide what’s “appropriate” use of a religious phrase?

The divide is sharp. On one side are those who fear secular drift and want stronger Islamic identity. On the other, those who worry about creeping religious authoritarianism and want symbols like the flag to remain civic, not clerical.

Some warn of “Shahada fatigue”—where overexposure to religious language on flags, t-shirts, and car stickers diminishes its sacredness and opens it to disrespect, however unintended.

Others argue that removing the Tawheed even once sets a precedent—and risks diluting Somaliland’s cultural distinctiveness in a region where Islamic and national identity have historically gone hand in hand.

A Defining Test for Irro’s Government

This moment is also a test for President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro, who has positioned himself as a unifier and reformer. His administration faces a sensitive task: to mediate without alienating either religious leaders or secular-minded youth.

If handled poorly, the flag debate could widen rifts across Somaliland’s political and generational divides. If handled wisely, it could model how a deeply religious but aspiring democratic society can resolve identity tensions without fracturing.

The outcome will ripple beyond May 18.

The challenge is clear: Somaliland must decide whether religious symbolism can coexist with civic representation—and if so, how.

Should a national symbol be modified out of respect for faith? Or does that sacrifice national unity for religious appeasement? Can religious leaders speak for the nation, or only to their congregations?

There are no easy answers. But if Somaliland wants international recognition, it must also show it can manage internal conflict—especially the kind that cuts to the heart of identity.

With just days until May 18, all eyes are on how the government, the clerics, and the people navigate this symbolic but significant test.

The Tawheed Flag Debate – Faith, Identity, and the May 18 Celebrations in Somaliland

In a dramatic and unexpected breakthrough, a peace agreement has been signed between the Supreme Garaad of the Dhulbahante, Garaad Jama Garaad Ali—widely known as “Gala Dagaalka”—and Somaliland’s Supreme Sultan, Sultan Daud Sultan Maxamed.

The meeting took place in Qabridaharre, in Ethiopia’s Somali Regional State (DDS), and signals what may become a landmark turning point in the decades-long Las Anod conflict.

This isn’t just a truce—it’s a potential paradigm shift in the political narrative of Somaliland’s eastern regions. For the first time since the eruption of the Las Anod war in 2023, peace feels tangible.

A Turning Point for President Irro

For President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro, this is more than a diplomatic win. It’s a redefinition of leadership in action. Rather than using brute force or political posturing, Irro’s administration has chosen reconciliation, quiet diplomacy, and cultural dialogue to resolve one of Somaliland’s bloodiest chapters.

This peace deal paves the way for:

The release of Somaliland prisoners of war held since the Las Anod conflict;

The return of Dhulbahante detainees held in Hargeisa prisons;

A roadmap for restoring social trust between the Dhulbahante community and the central government.

The Unexpected Peacemaker

Garaad Jama Garaad Ali, once nicknamed “Gala Dagaalka” (Go to War), stunned observers by shaking hands with Sultan Daud. For a figure who embodied resistance during the 2023 uprising, his pivot to peace shows the depth of the moment. His presence, and the solemnity of his agreement, signals that the Dhulbahante may now be ready to chart a new course within a unified Somaliland.

Beyond Symbolism

This is not just symbolic. For the families of POWs on both sides, for elders across Sool and Sanaag who have seen their communities divided, and for youth who have only known animosity—it is a moment of hope. It is proof that Irro’s government prioritizes reconciliation over retaliation, and healing over headlines.

What Comes Next

Peace is never guaranteed—but this agreement offers something the region hasn’t had in years: momentum. As Irro’s administration continues to push for national healing, this deal could be the catalyst that finally stabilizes eastern Somaliland.

Somaliland, bruised but unbroken, may be entering its most peaceful chapter yet.

Somaliland security forces detain Libaan Hussein, known for tribal mockery and viral disinformation videos, amid growing crackdown on anti-state propaganda.

Libaan Hussein, infamous for mocking Somaliland’s statehood and spreading tribal propaganda, has been arrested. A major blow to online disinformation.

In an operation that has lit up every tea house and social media feed in Somaliland, the most delusional man of the diaspora—Liiban Hussein—has been arrested.

The man once dubbed the “Fool of Laughter” thought the streets of Hargeisa were his stage, parading his fantasy of influence as if Somaliland politics was a sitcom written just for him. But tonight, the show is over.

The Trap Was Set Long Ago

When Libaan returned from London earlier this year, Somalilanders were shocked—not by his arrival, but by the fact he wasn’t arrested. But sources confirm to WARYATV that this was not negligence; it was strategy.

“He was watched from the moment he landed,” a senior security official told WARYATV. “We wanted to map his network—13 of his close associates are now under surveillance. Some are next.”

False Flags and Facebook Fraud

Libaan was never part of the ruling Waddani party—but that didn’t stop him from launching pages, collecting money, and faking proximity to power. He misled diaspora supporters, built a tribe-baiting media persona, and tried to carve a political role for himself out of thin air. Now, his schemes have collapsed.

“He wasn’t a politician,” said Hussein Adan, a source close to the security services. “He was a delusional actor. But actors forget—this isn’t theater. This is Somaliland.”

Seven Years of Silence Await

According to confidential sources from the prosecution office, Libaan may face up to seven years in prison—not just for incitement and fraud, but for defaming Somaliland’s integrity and exploiting political tensions for personal gain.

His insults toward former President Muse Bihi Abdi are well-documented. His efforts to divide Somaliland by clan, manipulate diaspora funds, and provoke during the sacred build-up to May 18 celebrations have not gone unnoticed.

Now the Fool Faces the Consequence

Libaan offered olive branches to men holding torches—then wondered why the forest burned. He thought applause meant approval, not a signal of surveillance. He thought being loud meant being powerful. But the Somaliland government—especially under President Irro’s silent doctrine—lets men like Libaan dig their own political graves.

As one senior analyst put it:

“Liiban walks like a man auditioning for a role that doesn’t exist. What he failed to see were the silent stares, the paused conversations, the quiet reshuffle of chess pieces. And now, the curtain drops.”

The only question left on everyone’s lips: Who’s next?

A viral wave of YouTube propaganda has swept through Somaliland over the past seven days, pushing a disturbing narrative: that the future of Somaliland lies in the hands of a military strongman modeled after Burkina Faso’s President Ibrahim Traoré.

But behind the glorified clips of junta rule and flashy edits praising “African resistance,” lies something far more dangerous: a foreign information warfare campaign rooted in Moscow.

WARYATV’s investigation has identified more than 17 Somaliland-based Social Media channels actively promoting anti-Western, pro-military content that mimics Russian disinformation operations previously seen in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso.

The common thread? A mix of radical anti-democracy rhetoric, glorification of Russian mercenary groups, and subtle calls for a new leadership model in Somaliland—one that mirrors the juntas Russia now props up in the Sahel.

Saleban Ismail Hashin, a prominent Somaliland political and military analyst, warns that these campaigns are not merely a “trend” but a psychological warfare operation aimed at destabilizing the region. “It is terrifying to see how Traoré is being presented as the ‘ideal Somali leader’ by YouTubers from Hargeisa to London,” he told WARYATV. “These are young minds being manipulated by edited footage, fake subtitles, and Russian-fed narratives.”

In a now-viral Somali-language video posted March 19, Traoré is depicted as a pan-African savior, with calls for Somaliland to “rise against the elites” and “reject colonial puppets” — coded language eerily similar to that used by Russian-funded networks in West Africa.

Our investigation reveals that some of the accounts involved recycle content from a now-defunct propaganda network linked to Jean Claude Sendeoli, a deceased Central African propagandist known for early Russia-Africa disinfo collaboration.

A Hybrid Warfront Arrives in Hargeisa

This is the first documented case tying Somaliland directly to Moscow’s hybrid warfare strategy in Africa. The same Russia that failed to prevent mass killings and insurgencies in the Sahel is now turning its attention east. The pattern is familiar: misinformation, local influencer recruitment, chaos, and ultimately resource extraction.

According to the Africa Center for Strategic Studies (2024), Russia is responsible for more than 80 of 200 known state-backed disinformation campaigns across the continent. China, UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar trail far behind. But Somaliland now finds itself caught in the web.

From Troll Farms to TikTok in Hargeisa

Ayan Ali, an East African intelligence analyst who monitors social networks from Hargeisa, says Russia’s digital strategy is no longer top-down. “It’s evolved into a network of decentralized actors. You get the original framing from Moscow, but the delivery comes from local influencers who dress it in nationalist and religious language,” she explained to WARYATV.

“They’re not speaking in Kremlin slogans,” she adds. “They’re saying, ‘Somaliland deserves a new revolutionary path.’ That makes it harder to detect and easier to swallow.”

Shaking the Somaliland Elite

This should be a wake-up call for Somaliland’s political class. The silence of those who should know better is deafening. Young people, disillusioned by unemployment and tribal deadlock, are being pulled toward narratives that promise purity through authoritarianism. The danger is not hypothetical. It’s uploading right now on your child’s phone.

Traoré is not the future of Somaliland. But unless leaders act fast to counter this digital insurgency, the next generation may believe otherwise.

In a historic motion, Somaliland’s parliament moves to formally block future negotiations with the Somali federal government, escalating tensions after the controversial recognition of Khaatumo.

In what may become a landmark shift in Somaliland’s statecraft, at least 30 lawmakers have submitted a motion to permanently suspend any future negotiations with the Federal Government of Somalia. Speaker Yasin Haji Mohamud Faratoon confirmed the motion has been accepted and referred to the House’s legal advisors.

The move follows Prime Minister Hamse Abdi Barre’s high-profile visit to Las Anod and his declaration recognizing Khaatumo as a federal member state. For many in Somaliland, that wasn’t just a political provocation—it was a red line.

What sets this motion apart is that it seeks legal codification of Somaliland’s decades-long frustration. While executive orders have previously frozen dialogue, this legislative act would make resuming talks legally impossible without new parliamentary approval—effectively closing the door on Mogadishu unless significant constitutional and political changes occur.

This could spell the formal end to a diplomatic process that began in London in 2012. Initiated with hope under President Silanyo, the talks have achieved little but optics. Now, with sovereignty increasingly weaponized by Somalia’s political elite and territorial provocations in Sool turning deadly, Somaliland’s patience appears exhausted.

If passed, the motion won’t just be a rejection of future talks—it will be a bold declaration that Somaliland no longer seeks validation from Mogadishu, but recognition from the world.

The Thinkers, Technocrats, and Strategists Reshaping the Future. They don’t shout. They don’t campaign. But they’re quietly dismantling tribal politics from within. Meet the new minds behind Somaliland President Irro’s silent revolution—and why the old elite should be afraid.

While much of the nation watches President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro’s every move, a quieter revolution is underway — not on podiums or press conferences, but in boardrooms and policy chambers. A network of disciplined, highly-educated, and mostly anonymous reformers are quietly crafting the architecture of a new Somaliland.

These seven individuals, handpicked by Irro himself, are the new class of national thinkers. They are technocrats, security strategists, and economists who speak in data, not clan. For a nation tired of recycled politics, they are the soft power behind the president’s hardline shift to meritocracy.

1. The Financial Fixer An IMF-trained economist with a record of reforming African banking systems now oversees the audit and restructuring of Somaliland’s public finance apparatus. Known in Hargeisa by his nickname, “The Firewall,” his presence is already forcing outdated fiscal practices into extinction.

2. The Digital Architect A 34-year-old cybersecurity expert with credentials from Estonia and Rwanda is quietly building a national digital governance framework. His team is currently working under a veil of secrecy in Hargeisa’s Ministry of Technology, developing the e-Somaliland prototype that could digitize IDs, land deeds, and elections.

3. The Military Mind A retired colonel with AU field credentials is advising the President on civilian-military restructuring. His influence is visible in the recent civilian integration into national defense planning — notably the peaceful demobilization efforts in Ceel-Afweyn.

4. The Peace Whisperer A veteran conflict resolution expert formerly stationed with the UN in South Sudan has joined the Peace Committee as a shadow coordinator. Her fingerprints are all over the new Jigjiga backchannel strategy with the Lasanod clan factions.

5. The Diplomatic Ghost A former diplomat from the Somali government in the 1980s, believed to have been trained in the Eastern Bloc, now serves as President Irro’s unofficial advisor on regional geopolitics. His doctrine? “Speak once. Win twice.” His influence was behind Somaliland’s recent non-response to Somalia provocations — a masterclass in restraint.

6. The Education Disruptor A US-educated academic is reengineering the national curriculum with a focus on science, Somali heritage, and entrepreneurship. Sources say he’s already identified 20 outdated policies in the Ministry of Education.

7. The Narrative Engineer A London-based media strategist turned national advisor is crafting a new voice for Somaliland. Her team is reportedly working on a rebranding campaign aimed at international recognition, starting with a multilingual “Somaliland Rising” documentary.

Who’s Next? Speculation is swirling that a former Somali-born UNDP official might take over a newly proposed Ministry of Planning and Innovation. There are also whispers of an ex-WHO epidemiologist being courted to lead a reformed national health strategy. In the security sector, a name quietly surfacing is a woman with dual Kenyan-Somalilander nationality, rumored to have worked on counterterrorism with AFRICOM.

These minds aren’t in politics for fame. They’re in it to reset the logic of governance. And in a nation long dominated by tribal allegiances, their rise is nothing short of revolutionary. President Irro hasn’t just built a government. He’s built a new intellectual elite — and Somaliland may never look back.

7 Names on the Table: Irro’s Silent Reshuffle Sparks Panic