An emergency session of the UN Security Council is set for Monday, where members are expected to voice strong opposition to Israel’s decision to recognize Somaliland as an independent state.
The move drew swift international criticism, with Somalia’s government in Mogadishu accusing Israel of a “deliberate attack” on its sovereignty. Egypt, Turkey, the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council, and the Saudi-based Organization of Islamic Cooperation also issued condemnations.
Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, responded by stressing Israel’s approach, saying that “Israel will act responsibly and we will continue to cooperate with partners who contribute to regional stability.”
The European Union joined the growing chorus of criticism. In a statement, Brussels said, “The European Union reaffirms the importance of respecting the unity, the sovereignty and the territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia pursuant of its constitution, the Charters of the African Union and the United Nations.” The statement added, “This is key for the peace and stability of the entire Horn of Africa region,” and noted that “The EU encourages meaningful dialogue between Somaliland and the Federal Government of Somalia to resolve long-standing differences.”
Israel announced the recognition on Friday, just days before Somalia is scheduled to assume the rotating presidency of the Security Council. In unveiling the decision, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the step was “in the spirit of the Abraham Accords,” adding that Israel and Somaliland would work together in “economic fields, on agriculture, [and] in the fields of social development.”
A joint declaration released yesterday by 21 countries — most of them from the Middle East or Africa — together with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, rejected Israel’s action “given the serious repercussions of such unprecedented measure on peace and security in the Horn of Africa, the Red Sea and its serious effects on international peace and security as a whole.” The countries, including Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Iran, also emphasized “the full rejection of any potential link between such measure and any attempts to forcibly expel the Palestinian people out of their land.”
The same statement warned that “the recognition of parts of states constitutes a serious precedent and threatens international peace and security, and violates the cardinal principles of international law and the United Nations Charter.”
Somaliland, which declared independence from Somalia in 1991, operates as a self-proclaimed republic with its own currency, passports, and military, and occupies a strategic location on the Gulf of Aden, across from Yemen and near Djibouti. Despite this, it has remained largely diplomatically isolated. Israel is now the only UN member state to formally recognize Somaliland’s independence.
In past discussions, Somaliland has occasionally been mentioned as a possible destination for Gazans leaving the war-torn Strip, a notion that has heightened sensitivities around Israel’s recognition.
Notably absent from the joint statement were the three countries that normalized relations with Israel in 2020 — the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco. Syria issued a separate declaration rejecting Israel’s move.
The US State Department also weighed in, saying it continues to recognize the territorial integrity of Somalia, “which includes the territory of Somaliland.”
{Matzav.com}
