“India Denies Recognition of Somaliland, Refutes Claims of Official Talks”
MEA FactCheck refutes reports of official talks between PM Modi and Somaliland’s President, clarifying that India has not recognised the breakaway region.
New Delhi: India on Saturday dismissed viral social media claims suggesting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi held official talks with Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi and that India was set to recognise Somaliland.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) FactCheck unit posted on X, “Fake news alert! The posts below are fake!” The unit also refuted reports that Somalia had recalled its ambassador to India over the alleged recognition move.
Screenshots circulating online falsely portrayed formal engagement between India and Somaliland, which the MEA confirmed had no basis in reality.
Somaliland, which declared independence from Somalia on May 18, 1991, has not been internationally recognised apart from Israel, which formally acknowledged Somaliland on December 26, 2025. Recent claims also linked recognition to alleged Israeli military bases and the resettlement of displaced Palestinians, which Somaliland officials denied, stating all engagements with Israel were “purely diplomatic” and in accordance with international law.
Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud had warned that Israeli recognition could destabilise the Horn of Africa, citing Somaliland’s strategic location near the Red Sea. Demonstrations have already erupted in Mogadishu, Baidoa, and Dhusamareb over the recognition by Israel, while the African Union and European Union reiterated support for Somalia’s territorial integrity.
Meanwhile, Somaliland President Abdullahi, also known as Cirro, is expected to visit Israel in the coming weeks to formally join the Abraham Accords, as confirmed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Somaliland has indicated that more countries may recognise the region in the future, despite Somalia’s continued territorial claims.
