Somaliland President Irro's Historic Address: "I Am the Happiest Person in the World Today" In a landmark televised address on...
Somaliland President Irro's Historic Address: "I Am the Happiest Person in the World Today"
In a landmark televised address on December 26, 2025, Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro announced Israel's formal recognition of Somaliland as a sovereign and independent state, declaring himself "the happiest person in the world today." The nearly six-minute speech, delivered from the presidential podium flanked by Somaliland flags, marked the culmination of over three decades of the region's quest for international legitimacy.
President Irro began his address with the traditional Islamic invocation, "Bismillah ar-Rahman ir-Raheem," before expressing profound joy over the breakthrough. He described the recognition as an affirmation of Somaliland's long-standing reality: a stable, self-governing entity that has maintained peace, constitutional order, and democratic practices since reclaiming independence in 1991.
"This development affirms an objective reality that has long existed," Irro stated, emphasizing that Somaliland fully meets the criteria of statehood under international law, including the Montevideo Convention's requirements of a permanent population, defined territory, effective government, and the capacity to enter into relations with other states.
Irro stressed that the achievement was realized through peaceful means dialogue, institution-building, and adherence to the rule of law rather than violence. He reassured regional neighbors and the international community that Somaliland's new status poses no threat to peace, but instead contributes to greater stability, security, and economic integration in the Horn of Africa and the strategic Red Sea region.
In a conciliatory tone, the president addressed Somalia directly, acknowledging deep cultural, religious, and economic ties between the peoples of Somaliland and Somalia. However, he argued that attempts at political unification referencing the voluntary 1960 union that formed the Somali Republic had historically resulted in injustice, instability, and conflict.
Irro urged acceptance of separate sovereign paths, proposing that this separation would enable stronger cooperation in areas of mutual interest, such as peace, trade, and development.
As a moderate Muslim nation guided by Islamic principles of justice and moderation, Somaliland remains committed to peaceful coexistence with all neighbors, he affirmed.
President Irro extended invitations to major international and regional organizations the United Nations, African Union (AU), IGAD, Arab League, Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and the Commonwealth to grant Somaliland full membership.
He framed the recognition as a "responsible beginning" rather than an end, opening doors to multilateral cooperation and shared progress.
The speech triggered jubilant celebrations across Somaliland, with crowds in Hargeisa and other cities waving flags and setting off fireworks. Images circulating on social media showed Israeli flags projected on buildings and displayed prominently in public spaces, symbolizing gratitude for the historic step.
The address, posted by the official Presidency account on X alongside the video, quickly garnered thousands of views and shares, reflecting widespread national pride.
Israel's recognition, the first by a UN member state, follows a year of quiet diplomacy and builds on strategic interests, including security cooperation in the Red Sea region. While Somaliland views it as a pivotal moment toward broader acceptance, it has drawn criticism from Somalia and regional bodies upholding Somalia's territorial integrity.
President Irro's measured and optimistic tone underscored Somaliland's narrative of earned sovereignty through stability and democracy, positioning the nation for a new chapter in international relations.
Family Writers Press International.
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