Somalia rejects Israel’s claim to recognise Somaliland: Video
Somalia has strongly rejected Israel’s reported move to recognise Somaliland, with the country’s Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism warning that such a step would violate Somalia’s sovereignty.
Speaking from Mogadishu on Saturday, December 27, Daoud Aweis denounced what he described as an unlawful action with potentially serious regional consequences.
Aweis said Somalia “categorically and unequivocally” rejects any attempt by Israel to recognise Somaliland, which he referred to as the country’s northern region. He stressed that Somalia remains a single, indivisible sovereign state and that no external actor has the authority to alter its territorial integrity or political unity.
The minister cautioned that what he described as illegitimate actions could threaten regional peace and stability. He warned that such moves risk provoking tensions across the Horn of Africa, the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Middle East, and the wider region.
He also argued that challenging Somalia’s sovereignty could undermine collective efforts to combat extremist groups, including Al Shabaab and ISIS. According to Aweis, political instability could create opportunities for such groups to exploit, weakening ongoing peace and security efforts.
The comments followed remarks by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday, December 26, who said Israel and Somaliland had signed a joint declaration to establish full diplomatic relations, describing the move as being in the spirit of the Abraham Accords. Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 but has not been recognised by any United Nations member state, a claim Somalia has consistently rejected.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
