The Somali Minister of Information, Daoud Aweis, confirmed on Sunday that Israel is involved in acts that affect Somalia’s sovereignty. In a statement to Al-Arabiya and Al-Hadath channels, he explained that the Somali Parliament has affirmed its rejection of Israel’s recognition of the Somaliland region.
Aweis considered that the Israeli recognition of the Somaliland region threatens regional security and constitutes a “flagrant violation of Somalia’s sovereignty,” noting that Israel seeks to establish military bases in the region, and stressing that his country will not allow any settlement operations there. He added that dialogue with the Somaliland region is still ongoing, and that the Security Council will affirm Somalia’s official position on this issue.
Aweis’ statements come after the Somali Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdulsalam Abdi Ali, affirmed that Israel’s recognition of the Somaliland region is considered a “hostile and provocative step” and represents a direct threat to regional security, stressing that Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are “red lines that cannot be compromised.”
The Minister of Foreign Affairs stated that the Somali government has submitted an official request to Israel to retract this recognition, warning of its consequences on the stability of the region, and at the same time emphasizing the continuation of dialogue with the Somaliland region with the aim of reaching a peaceful solution that preserves the country’s unity and protects its sovereignty. He also stressed Somalia’s commitment to the diplomatic path, calling for respect for international law and the principles of state sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The Somali President, Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud, had strongly criticized the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, considering that the Israeli step represents the biggest attack on Somali sovereignty in the country’s history, during a speech he delivered before the Somali Parliament in an extraordinary session dedicated to discussing Israeli recognition of Somaliland.
These positions come after 21 countries, in addition to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, issued a joint statement on Saturday in which they rejected Israeli recognition of the Somaliland region and affirmed their full support for Somalia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and regional integrity.
It is worth noting that the Somaliland region unilaterally declared its secession from Mogadishu in 1991 following the outbreak of the civil war, but it has not since obtained any official international recognition from the member states of the United Nations, and is still treated internationally as an autonomous region within federal Somalia.
