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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, along with the foreign offices of 21 other countries, on Thursday strongly condemned the visit by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar to &quot;Somaliland&quot; earlier this week, a joint statement issued by the countries said.&nbsp; The Israeli foreign minister arrived in the region designated as &quot;Somaliland&quot; on Tuesday in a high-profile visit. The visit was condemned by Somalia as an &quot;unauthorized incursion,&quot; adding that it &quot;reserves the right to take all appropriate diplomatic and legal measures... to safeguard its sovereignty, national unity, and territorial integrity.&quot; A special meeting of the African Union Peace and Security Council also condemned &quot;in the strongest terms&quot; the recognition by Israel and called for its &quot;immediate revocation.&quot;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 698px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2009308304904712666&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=065294287c286e3cffbb3a1dd7b8037f1b0b3cfd&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px"></iframe></div></div>The joint statement issued by the foreign offices of the 22 countries said that the countries &ldquo;express their strong condemnation of the recent illegal visit by the Israeli official to &lsquo;Somaliland&rsquo;&rdquo; on Jan. 6. The statement, recalling the earlier statement issued on Dec. 27, which rejected Israel&rsquo;s recognition of the state, said that the &ldquo;visit constitutes a clear violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia, and undermines established international norms and the United Nations Charter.&rdquo; It said that the countries reaffirm their &ldquo;unwavering support for the sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia.&rdquo; According to the statement, the countries underline &ldquo;that encouraging secessionist agendas&rdquo; was &ldquo;unacceptable and risk exacerbating tensions in an already fragile region.&rdquo; The statement emphasized that &ldquo;respect for international law, non-interference in internal affairs of sovereign states, and adherence to diplomatic norms are essential for regional and international stability.&rdquo; It commended the Somalian government&rsquo;s &ldquo;commitment to peaceful international engagement, constructive diplomacy and adherence to international law,&rdquo; expressing its commitment to continuing to support the country&#39;s diplomatic and legal measures to safeguard its &ldquo;sovereignty, territorial integrity and stability in line with international law.&rdquo; The countries stressed that Israel &ldquo;should fully respect Somalia&#39;s sovereignty, national unity and territorial integrity and honor its obligations in compliance with international law,&rdquo; demanding an &quot;immediate revocation of the recognition issued by Israel.&quot;

Foreign Affairs

Countries reaffirm 'unwavering support for the sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia'; underline that 'encouraging secessionist agendas' was 'unacceptable and risk exacerbating tensions in an already fragile region.'

Pakistan along with 21 countries strongly condemn Israeli official’s visit to ‘Somaliland’

MOGADISHU: The Israeli foreign minister arrived in Somaliland on Tuesday in a high-profile visit, condemned by Somalia as an &quot;unauthorised incursion&quot;, after Israel recognised the breakaway region in the Horn of Africa.&nbsp;Israel announced last month it was officially recognising Somaliland, a first for the self-proclaimed republic since it declared independence from Somalia in 1991.&nbsp;Somaliland enjoys a strategic position on the Gulf of Aden and has its own currency, passport and army, but has struggled to win international recognition, amid fears of provoking Somalia and encouraging other separatist movements in Africa.&nbsp;Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, whose delegation was welcomed at the airport by senior government officials, said recognising Somaliland had been &quot;the moral thing to do&quot;.&nbsp;Somaliland President Abdirahman Abdullahi Mohamed praised Israel&#39;s &quot;courageous&quot; decision, and said it would open up economic and development opportunities.&nbsp;&quot;It promotes the strategic interest partnership of the two countries,&quot; he said in a joint press conference.&nbsp;Somalia reacted furiously to news of the visit, labelling it an &quot;illegal&quot; and &quot;unauthorised incursion&quot;.&nbsp;In a statement, Somalia&#39;s foreign ministry said it &quot;reserves the right to take all appropriate diplomatic and legal measures... to safeguard its sovereignty, national unity, and territorial integrity&quot;.&nbsp;A special meeting of the African Union Peace and Security Council on Tuesday condemned &quot;in the strongest terms&quot; the recognition by Israel and called for its &quot;immediate revocation&quot;.&nbsp;The Arab League said in a statement that &quot;any official or quasi-official dealings&quot; with officials in Somaliland treated as separate from Somalia was a &quot;flagrant violation of Somalia&#39;s unity and sovereignty&quot;.&nbsp;The move would &quot;undermine regional peace and security and exacerbate political tensions in Somalia, the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Horn of Africa&quot;, the League added.&nbsp;Following Israel&#39;s recognition, Islamist militant group Al-Shabaab, which has fought the Somali government for around two decades, said they would fight any attempt by Israel to use Somaliland as a base.&nbsp;&#39;Threat&#39; to stability Analysts say the deal with Somaliland could provide Israel with better access to the Red Sea, enabling it to hit Houthi rebels in Yemen.&nbsp;Somaliland&#39;s location alongside one of the world&#39;s busiest shipping lanes has made it a key partner for foreign countries.&nbsp;Israel&#39;s recognition was supported by the United States, but criticised by Egypt, Turkey, the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council and the Saudi-based Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. The European Union insisted Somalia&#39;s sovereignty should be respected.&nbsp;Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud called the Israeli decision a &quot;threat&quot; to stability in the already volatile Horn of Africa.&nbsp;In an interview with Al Jazeera, he said Somaliland had accepted three conditions from Israel: the resettlement of Palestinians, the establishment of a military base on the Gulf of Aden, and joining the Abraham Accords to normalise ties with Israel.&nbsp;Somaliland&#39;s foreign ministry denied the first two conditions.&nbsp;The region has experienced greater stability than the rest of insurgency-hit Somalia.&nbsp;It was briefly a recognised state in June 1960 when it gained independence from Britain, but voluntarily united with Italian-administered Somalia days later.&nbsp;Somaliland&#39;s leaders say that union was never formally ratified and became void when the Somali state effectively collapsed in 1991.

Middle East

Africa

Israel’s foreign minister visited Somaliland after Israel became the first nation to recognise the breakaway region, prompting condemnation from Somalia, African Union and Arab League amid warnings the move could destabilise the Horn of Africa.

Somalia calls Israeli FM visit to Somaliland an 'incursion'

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan reaffirmed its &ldquo;complete support&rdquo; for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia on Thursday and strongly condemned the announcement by Israel recognizing Somaliland, said Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi in his weekly briefing. The spokesperson, Andrabi, was addressing the foreign office media weekly briefing in Islamabad. &ldquo;[Pakistan] rejects the announcement made by Israel recognizing the independence of the so-called Somaliland region of the Federal Republic of Somalia,&rdquo; he said. The spokesperson mentioned the joint statement issued earlier this week by the foreign ministers from 21 countries, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and T&uuml;rkiye, among others. The statement declared an &ldquo;unequivocal rejection of Israel&rsquo;s recognition of the &lsquo;Somaliland&rsquo; region&rdquo; in the Federal Republic of Somalia. It said that the move was rejected by all signatories without exception. He added that recognizing parts of a sovereign state sets a dangerous precedent, as per the statement.&nbsp; &ldquo;Such actions threaten international peace and security and violate the principles of international law and the United Nations Charter,&rdquo; he noted. The spokesman also highlighted that Foreign Minister Dar received a call from the Somali Foreign Minister Abdisalam Abdi Ali.&nbsp; &ldquo;The Somali Foreign Minister thanked the DPM/FM for standing by Somalia and for Pakistan&#39;s continued and sustained support,&quot; added the statement. Andrabi also said that the Somali foreign minister sought Pakistan&rsquo;s assistance in raising Somalia&rsquo;s concerns at the UNSC. The spokesperson said Pakistan would continue to support Somalia and Palestine at all international forums.

Pakistan condemns Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, reaffirms full support for Somalia’s sovereignty, cites a 21-nation joint statement, and vows continued backing for Somalia and Palestine at international forums.

Pakistan backs Somalia’s unity, condemns Israel’s Somaliland recognition

MOGADISHU, Somalia: Israel&#39;s recognition of the breakaway region of Somaliland &quot;is (a) threat to the security and stability of the world and the region,&quot; Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud told an emergency parliamentary session Sunday.&nbsp;Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu&#39;s Friday announcement, making his country the first to recognise Somaliland, &quot;is tantamount to a blunt aggression against the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, and the unity of the people of the Somali Republic,&quot; Mohamud said.&nbsp;Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 and has for decades pushed for international recognition.&nbsp;A self-proclaimed republic, it enjoys a strategic position on the Gulf of Aden and has its own money, passports and army.&nbsp;But it has been diplomatically isolated since its unilateral declaration of independence.&nbsp;Somalia&#39;s government and the African Union reacted angrily Friday after Israel&#39;s announcement.&nbsp;Mogadishu denounced a &quot;deliberate attack&quot; on its sovereignty, while Egypt, Turkey, the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council and the Saudi-based Organisation of Islamic Cooperation all condemned the decision.

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said Israel’s recognition of Somaliland threatens regional and global stability, calling it an act of aggression against Somalia’s sovereignty, as African Union members and key regional states condemned the move.

Israel's recognition of Somaliland 'threat' to regional stability: Somali president

ISLAMABAD: The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and 21 nations, including Pakistan, strongly rejected Israel&rsquo;s recognition of Somalia&rsquo;s northern &#39;Somaliland&#39; region as a sovereign state, citing violations of sovereignty, international law, and regional stability. Pakistan&rsquo;s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on its social media account on X Sunday shared a joint statement by the foreign ministers of Jordan, Egypt, Algeria, Comoros, Djibouti, Gambia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Maldives, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Turkiye, Yemen, and the OIC. According to the statement, the foreign ministers and the OIC underscored the following: 1- Their unequivocal rejection of Israel&rsquo;s recognition of the &ldquo;Somaliland&rdquo; region of the Federal Republic of Somalia on 26 December 2025, 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, which also reflects Israel&rsquo;s full and blatant disregard to international law. 2- Their condemnation in the strongest terms of such recognition, which constitutes a grave violation of 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&rsquo;s expansionist aims. 3- &nbsp;Full support of the sovereignty of the Federal Republic of Somalia, and the unequivocal rejection of any measures that undermine the unity of Somalia, its territorial integrity, or its sovereignty over its entire territory. 4- 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. 5- The full rejection of any potential link between such a measure and any attempts to forcibly expel the Palestinian people from their land, which is unequivocally rejected in any form as a matter of principle.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 971px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2005144577460797853&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fdashboard%2F&sessionId=f0c00d3cc015e0e089bc3a969b1a91b18167742b&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> OIC statement&nbsp;Meanwhile, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation shared the following statement on X on Saturday:&nbsp; &ldquo;The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation expressed its strong condemnation and categorical rejection of Israel&rsquo;s recognition, as the occupying power, of the &#39;Somaliland&#39; region as an independent state, considering it a violation of the sovereignty of the Federal Republic of Somalia, its national unity, and its territorial integrity.&rdquo; It further said: &ldquo;The General Secretariat reaffirmed its full solidarity with the Federal Republic of Somalia and its unwavering support for its sovereignty and territorial unity, as well as its unequivocal support for its legitimate institutions.&rdquo; &ldquo;It also underscored the necessity of adhering to the principles of the Charter of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Charter of the United Nations, and international law, all of which stipulate respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Member States,&rdquo; it added. The statement said: &ldquo;The Organization emphasized the need to preserve security, peace, and stability in the Horn of Africa region, and rejected any actions that could undermine regional stability.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 801px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2004921379599339775&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fdashboard%2F&sessionId=f0c00d3cc015e0e089bc3a969b1a91b18167742b&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>

Foreign ministers of Jordan, Egypt, Algeria, Comoros, Djibouti, Gambia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Maldives, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Turkiye, Yemen, and the OIC issue a joint statement.

Articles tagged with "Somalia"

Pakistan along with 21 countries strongly condemn Israeli official’s visit to ‘Somaliland’

Somalia calls Israeli FM visit to Somaliland an 'incursion'

Pakistan backs Somalia’s unity, condemns Israel’s Somaliland recognition

Israel's recognition of Somaliland 'threat' to regional stability: Somali president

OIC, 21 nations condemn Israel’s recognition of Somalia’s 'Somaliland' region