21 Arab, Islamic, African countries condemn, reject Israeli recognition of Somaliland

By Esra Tekin

ISTANBUL (AA) - Representatives of 21 Arab, Islamic, and African countries on Friday expressed their rejection and condemnation of Israel’s decision to recognize Somalia's breakaway region of Somaliland as an independent state, warning that the move violates international law and threatens regional stability.

A statement from the foreign ministers of the countries, released by Qatar's Foreign Ministry, said Israel's decision constituted a "serious precedent" that threatens "international peace and security."

In a joint statement, the countries condemned the move "in the strongest terms," saying it violates "the principles of international law and the United Nations Charter, which explicitly stipulates the imperative of protecting the sovereignty of states and their territorial integrity, and reflects Israel's expansionist" stance.

The statement said it was a sign of Israel's "full and blatant disregard to international law," warning of its potential "serious repercussions ... on peace and security in the Horn of Africa, the Red Sea."

The countries also reaffirmed their full support for Somalia’s sovereignty, expressing their "unequivocal rejection of any measures that undermine the unity of Somalia, its territorial integrity or its sovereignty over its entire territory."

They fully rejected "any potential link between such measure and any attempts to forcibly expel the Palestinian people out of their land, which is unequivocally rejected in any form as a matter of principle."

Israel became the world’s first country on Friday to recognize Somaliland as a sovereign state, sparking an international chorus of rejection of the move by numerous countries in Africa and the Middle East, including Türkiye, which was also part of Saturday's statement released by Qatar.

Somaliland, which has lacked official recognition since declaring independence from Somalia in 1991, operates as a de facto independent administrative, political, and security entity, with the central government unable to assert control over the region and its leadership unable to secure international recognition of independence.

The Somali government refuses to recognize Somaliland as an independent state, considers it an integral part of its territory, and views any direct deals or engagement with it as a violation of the country's sovereignty and unity.