Djibouti President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh says he has refused to meet or take calls from Somaliland President Abdirahman Cirro, accusing him of pursuing international recognition “at any cost” which he said could risk regional stability and Somalia’s unity.
Guelleh said relations between Djibouti and Somaliland have deteriorated after Isreal’s recognition of the breakaway region.
He said the border between Djibouti and Somaliland remains open, but flights to Hargeisa have been suspended.
Guelleh warned that steps he views as undermining Somalia’s territorial integrity could destabilize the Horn of Africa, a region already facing security and political challenges.
Somaliland, a self-declared republic that broke away from Somalia in 1991, is not internationally recognized. Somalia’s federal government considers it part of its territory.
