Israel has become the first nation in the world to formally recognise Somaliland, marking a significant diplomatic breakthrough for the breakaway region in the Horn of Africa,
Al Jazeera reports.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Friday that Israel and Somaliland had signed a joint declaration establishing full diplomatic relations, describing it as being “in the spirit of the Abraham Accords”, a set of deals brokered by the United States to establish formal ties between Israel and Arab states.
Somalia’s government released a statement hours after Israel’s announcement, calling the move an “attack” on its sovereignty and an “unlawful action”, and describing Somaliland as an “inseparable” part of the country.
Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991, but it has failed to gain recognition from any United Nations member state. The region controls the northwestern portion of what was once the British Protectorate in northern Somalia.
Somalia has never accepted Somaliland’s independence.
Somalia’s Foreign Minister, Abdisalam Abdi Ali, participated in a call with the foreign ministers of Egypt, Turkiye, and Djibouti, during which they reiterated their support for Somalia’s unity.
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said the four countries’ top diplomats discussed how recognising the independence of a region within a sovereign country sets a “dangerous precedent” in violation of the UN Charter.
“Respect for the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of states is a fundamental pillar of the stability of the international system and must not be violated or circumvented under any pretext,” the ministry said.
