The Arab League Council affirmed in its statement its categorical rejection of Israel’s purported recognition of the secession of Somalia’s northwestern region, known as Somaliland, stressing that this move is driven by political, security, and economic agendas and has no legal validity.
The Council also rejected any measures resulting from this invalid recognition that could facilitate the forced displacement of the Palestinian people or allow the use of northern Somali ports for the establishment of foreign military bases.
Reiterating the firm and consistent Arab position expressed in League resolutions at all levels, the Council stressed that the northwestern region of Somalia—referred to as Somaliland—is an integral and inseparable part of the Federal Republic of Somalia. This position, it noted, is grounded in the Charter of the League of Arab States, the Charter of the United Nations, and the charters of all international and regional organizations of which Somalia is a member.
The Council categorically rejected any attempt to recognize the secession of this region, whether directly or indirectly, and warned against the consequences of such actions.
The Arab League further emphasized that this illegal Israeli recognition forms part of Israel’s broader attempts, as an occupying power, to undermine international peace and security. It described the move as a direct threat to Arab national security, necessitating legal, political, economic, and diplomatic measures to confront it.
The League reaffirmed its full support for Somalia’s security, stability, unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, as well as its support for the Federal Government of Somalia in its efforts to safeguard Somali sovereignty on land, at sea, and in the air.
It also affirmed Somalia’s right to legitimate self-defence, as stipulated in Article 51 of the UN Charter and the relevant provisions of the Charter of the League of Arab States, pledging support for any measures Somalia may take to counter aggression, in accordance with international law.
The League expressed full solidarity with the position of the Somali government, which considers any recognition of the secession of the northwestern region to be null and void, unacceptable, and a flagrant violation of international law. Such actions, it said, constitute blatant interference in Somalia’s internal affairs and a serious breach of its sovereignty and territorial integrity, with dangerous repercussions for peace and stability in Somalia, the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the Horn of Africa.
The statement warned that Israeli actions represent a dangerous attempt to reshape the geopolitical landscape of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden along the Somali coast. The League called on the international community to confront these measures as a threat to regional and international peace and security, as well as to freedom of navigation and international trade.
The Arab League also reaffirmed its categorical rejection of any form of forced displacement of the Palestinian people or attempts to alter the demographic composition of the Palestinian territories, describing such practices as a form of genocide and a grave violation of international law and relevant international resolutions, undermining prospects for a just and lasting peace.
In this context, the League stressed its rejection of the use of Somali territory as a platform for implementing Israeli plans, reiterating its firm opposition to the use of the territory of the Federal Republic of Somalia, or any part thereof, by external actors as a base for hostile, military, or intelligence activities that could threaten the security and stability of other states.
The statement also affirmed coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia—currently a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2025–2026—to mobilize international support for resolutions affirming Somalia’s unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, and rejecting Israel’s recognition of Somaliland as null and void and a threat to international and regional peace and security.
For his part, Somalia’s Ambassador to Cairo and Permanent Representative to the League of Arab States, Ali Abdi Awari, said the Council reaffirmed the Arab commitment to Somalia’s unity and sovereignty and its rejection of any plans undermining the country’s territorial integrity.
Awari told reporters that the meeting assumed particular importance considering Israel’s alleged recognition of the so-called Somaliland as an independent state, stressing the need for intensified Arab support to counter such moves, which pose a direct threat to Somalia’s unity.
He explained that the Council agreed to provide full support to Somalia and explicitly reaffirmed its commitment to preserving Somali national unity and sovereignty as a core principle of joint Arab action, reflecting a unified Arab stance that strengthens Somalia’s ability to confront current challenges.
In remarks to the Council, Awari said the Israeli occupation government’s announcement cannot be separated from a broader aggressive approach aimed at undermining state legitimacy, spreading chaos, and promoting separatist tendencies. He described the move as aggressive, provocative, and unprecedented, and a blatant violation of international law, UN resolutions, and the charters of the League of Arab States and the African Union.
The Somali ambassador stressed that the measure is null and void and does not alter the fact that the northwestern region is an integral part of the Federal Republic of Somalia, adding that Somalia’s national unity is non-negotiable.
He further warned that following its war against the Palestinian people, Israel is now seeking to support separatist entities in Somalia as part of plans linked to the forced displacement of Palestinians. Awari affirmed that Somalia will not be a party to any attempt to displace the Palestinian people and pledged to work, during Somalia’s Security Council membership and its presidency in January 2026, to thwart such plans.
He added that Somalia views this move as not only an aggression against an Arab state, but also a direct threat to Arab national security and maritime security in the Red Sea, calling on Arab states to adopt serious policies to counter repeated Israeli violations.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian representative to the Arab League, Ambassador Muhannad Al-Aklouk, warned that Israel has sought to use the so-called Somaliland as part of its plans to displace Palestinians, particularly from the Gaza Strip. He affirmed the State of Palestine’s complete rejection of any forced displacement under any pretext, describing it as a red line, and warned against acquiescence to such proposals.
Al-Aklouk concluded by stating that this rejected recognition forms part of Israel’s colonial practices aimed at undermining international and regional security and perpetuating instability across the region.
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