Categorical Rejection of the May 18th Charade and Condemnation of any celebration taking place in Awdal region.

Declaration of Non-Participation and Rejection of May 18th Hegemony. The Awdal State Movement (ASM), representing the collective consciousness, political will, and historical aspirations of most of the inhabitants and communities of the Awdal and Salal regions, hereby issues this formal declaration: We categorically reject and refuse to participate in the upcoming May 18th celebrations orchestrated by the administration in Hargeisa. Far from a day of liberation or democratic unity, this occasion has transformed into nothing more than a political charade designed to legitimize and perpetuate an exclusionary, Israel-supported secessionists regime.

Remembering the Borama Massacre: An Unhealed Wound- the ASM calls upon all people of conscience to reflect on the stark, painful reality confronting our communities. We pose a fundamental question to our people: How can the Awdal public participate in the festivities of a regime responsible for the systemic violence and recent massacre of more than 400 of our youth in Borama?

B. A Memory Untainted by Propaganda: The blood of our youth, shed in the pursuit of justice and equal rights, remains an unhealed wound. To celebrate the institutions that authorized or enabled this brutality is a profound betrayal of our martyrs and their grieving families. We strongly condemn those co-opted individuals and political elites who, out of self-interest, collaborated with the Hargeisa administration. These figures do not represent the soul, dignity, or the political stance of the Awdal and Salal people. They cannot trade away our collective trauma for political favor.

C. Complicity Through Inaction: The Betrayal of Awdal and Salal Borders. The fundamental duty of any governing authority is the protection of its people and the preservation of territorial security. The regime in Hargeisa has systematically failed this test, revealing its discriminatory underpinnings. During this crisis, the Hargeisa administration actively refused to deploy adequate defense or resources to safeguard the vulnerable borders of Awdal, Salal regions and Gabiley District. This deliberate abdication of duty confirms the apartheid-like infrastructure of the current regime: a system that extracts taxes and demands loyalty from Awdal yet abandons its citizens to external aggression due to institutionalized ethno-supremacy.

Our Conclusion and Forward Path: The Awdal State Movement reiterates that the path forward lies in self-determination, genuine justice, and the rejection of subjection disguised as statehood. The May 18th event is an ideological instrument used to mask deep-seated structural inequality and human rights abuses. We stand united with the majority of the inhabitants of Awdal and Salal in declaring: We will not forget the genocide. We will not celebrate our subjugation. We will continue to strive for a future rooted in dignity, Freedom, security, and true equality.

Media Contact: Directorate of Communications and Public Relations
Awdal State Movement (ASM)
Email: info@awdalstatemovement.org