Hargeisa (WDN)- In a development that would trigger intense political debate across Somalia, a delegation from Puntland has arrived in Hargeisa to participate in the 18 May celebrations marking the 35th anniversary of Somaliland’s declaration of self-rule.
In a symbolically sensitive visit, the delegation is being led by Yasin Muse Boqor, a member of the Darood royal lineage, who made unusually candid remarks expressing respect for Somaliland’s political existence and signaling a willingness to pursue closer engagement and understanding between the two administrations.
“We accept the existence of Somaliland. Puntland supports Somaliland, and we are ready to cooperate and reach mutual understanding,” Yasin Muse Boqor reportedly stated after arriving in Hargeisa.
The visit marks the first known occasion in which a delegation publicly identified with Puntland has travelled to Hargeisa specifically to participate in the annual 18 May commemorations — an event long regarded as one of the most politically symbolic dates in Somaliland’s calendar.
The annual 18 May celebrations commemorate Somaliland’s 1991 decision to withdraw from the union with Somalia following the collapse of the Somali central government. While Somaliland has operated with de facto autonomy for more than three decades, it remains internationally unrecognized as an independent state.
Relations between Puntland and Somaliland have historically been complex and often tense, particularly over disputed territories in the Sool and Sanaag regions. Both administrations have, at different periods, laid claim to overlapping areas based on differing political and clan-based interpretations.
For that reason, the arrival of a Puntland-linked delegation at the celebrations is already being viewed by many observers as politically significant.
The remarks attributed to Yasin Muse Boqor are expected to generate strong reactions across Somali political circles, particularly among groups that continue to advocate for Somali territorial unity and oppose any gesture perceived as legitimizing Somaliland’s separation claims.
Others, however, may interpret the visit as part of a broader effort to reduce tensions and open channels of dialogue between northern Somali administrations after years of political rivalry and intermittent conflict.
Neither Puntland’s official leadership nor Somalia’s federal government had immediately issued formal statements regarding the delegation’s participation at the time of reporting.
The visit comes amid wider political uncertainty across Somalia, with relations between the federal government and several federal member states remaining strained, while regional alliances and political calculations continue shifting.
Analysts say symbolic political gestures are becoming increasingly important as Somali actors reposition themselves within a rapidly evolving political landscape marked by constitutional disputes, security pressures, and growing questions over the future structure of the Somali state.
Whether the Hargeisa visit represents a one-off symbolic appearance or the beginning of a broader political recalibration between Puntland and Somaliland remains unclear.
But in a region where symbolism often carries strategic weight, the presence of a Puntland delegation at Somaliland’s most politically charged annual event is already being viewed as a moment with potentially far-reaching implications.
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