What happened:
On January 3, 2026, India dismissed as fake social media posts claiming that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had held talks with the President of Somaliland and that New Delhi was set to recognise Somaliland. The Ministry of External Affairs’ FactCheck unit clarified on X that the viral posts were false and also rejected reports suggesting Somalia had recalled its ambassador to India over the issue.
Why it matters to India:
The clarification reaffirms India’s consistent position on Somalia’s territorial integrity and counters misinformation that could affect India’s diplomatic relations in the Horn of Africa. It also underscores New Delhi’s effort to actively counter fake news on sensitive foreign policy matters.