Hargeisa (SLpost)- The Somaliland government on Monday accused Somalia’s federal government of attempting to prevent the return of politician Fihima Yusuf Quunje, alleging that Ethiopian authorities intervened to thwart an effort to forcibly transfer her from Addis Ababa to Mogadishu.
Quunje, who hails from Somaliland’s Sool region and previously served in the legislature of the SSC-Khaatumo administration, arrived in Hargeisa to an official reception attended by senior Somaliland government officials after announcing earlier this week that she was abandoning her former political affiliation and returning to Somaliland.
Speaking at Hargeisa’s Egal International Airport, Somaliland’s Minister of Interior, Abdalle Mohamed Arab, alleged that officials from Somalia’s federal government had initially attempted to persuade Quunje not to travel to Somaliland, offering support if she abandoned her plans.
According to the minister, after those efforts failed, Somali officials allegedly sought to have Quunje removed from the hotel where she was staying in Addis Ababa and secretly flown to Mogadishu. He claimed Ethiopian authorities discovered the alleged plan and informed Somaliland, enabling Quunje’s journey to continue.
The Somaliland government did not provide documentary evidence to support the allegations, and Reuters could not independently verify the claims.
The Federal Government of Somalia has not publicly responded to the allegations, and Ethiopian authorities have not commented on the Somaliland government’s account.
Addressing supporters after arriving in Hargeisa, Fihima Quunje said her decision to return followed what she described as a period of reflection and assessment in the Sool region. She said she had concluded that her future political role belonged in Somaliland.
Fihima did not elaborate on the circumstances surrounding her stay in Addis Ababa or directly comment on the allegations made by the Somaliland government. But she accused the Mogadishu administration of orchestrating a plan designed to provoke a large-scale conflict between the people of Sool and Somaliland.
Welcoming her arrival, Somaliland House of Representatives Speaker Yasin Haji Mohamoud Hir (Faratoon) described Quunje’s return as politically significant, saying it would have an impact on Somaliland’s political landscape.
Her return comes amid continuing political tensions over the future of the Sool region, where Somaliland, Somalia, and the SSC-Khaatumo administration have competing claims and differing political positions.
Somaliland has governed itself since restoring independence from Somalia in 1991 but remains partially recognized after Israel became the only country to internationally recognized Somaliland’s sovereignty in late 2025. The status of the Sool region continues to be one of the most sensitive issues in the broader dispute between Somaliland and Somalia.
Reporting by Somalilandpost News.
