Independence Day (Somaliland)
| Independence Day عيد استقلال أرض الصومال | |
|---|---|
Somali women at independence day celebrations with the flag of Somaliland | |
| Observed by | Somaliland |
| Type | National Day |
| Significance | Mark the Republic of Somaliland's Restoration of sovereignty and end of the unity with Somali Democratic Republic in 1991. |
| Celebrations | Flag hoisting, parades, award ceremonies, singing patriotic songs and the national anthem, speeches by the President and Vice President, entertainment and cultural programs. |
| Date | 18 May |
| Next time | 18 May 2026 |
| Frequency | annual |
Independence Day in Somaliland (Arabic:عيد استقلال أرض الصومال) is an annual celebration held on 18 May in Somaliland to mark the polity's declaration of independence from the Somali Democratic Republic, a unilateral proclamation which remains unrecognized the world over. Although internationally seen only as an autonomous area of Somalia, the territory's self-declared independence has endured, and the twentieth anniversary was celebrated in 2011 at the National Palace in Hargeisa, Somaliland's capital, with shops closing down for the day.