Twenty-one Arab, African nations reject Israel’s recognition of Somalia

(MENAFN) Representatives from 21 Arab, Islamic, and African countries have jointly condemned Israel’s recent recognition of Somaliland as an independent state, arguing that the decision violates international law and poses a threat to regional stability.

In a statement released Friday by Qatar’s Foreign Ministry, the foreign ministers of the participating countries described Israel’s move as a “serious precedent” endangering “international peace and security.” They condemned the recognition “in the strongest terms,” asserting that it contravenes “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” agenda.

The statement warned that the decision demonstrates Israel’s “full and blatant disregard to international law” and cautioned about its potential “serious repercussions ... on peace and security in the Horn of Africa, the Red Sea.”

The countries reiterated their unwavering support for Somalia’s sovereignty, expressing “unequivocal rejection of any measures that undermine the unity of Somalia, its territorial integrity or its sovereignty over its entire territory.” They also rejected any connection between the recognition and “attempts to forcibly expel the Palestinian people from their land,” labeling such actions as entirely unacceptable.

Israel became the first country worldwide to recognize Somaliland as sovereign on Friday, prompting widespread disapproval from numerous nations in Africa and the Middle East, including Türkiye, which joined in the joint condemnation detailed in the Qatar-issued statement.

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