Somaliland Province is Our Integral Part: Somalia's Strong Reaction

Somalia: Just hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's announcement to recognize the Somaliland region as sovereign, the Somali Ministry of Foreign Affairs has outright rejected the decision, stating it poses a direct threat to Somalia's sovereignty and territorial unity.

In a statement released on Friday, the Somali Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on all countries and international partners to respect international law, uphold the principles of non-interference and territorial integrity, and play a responsible role in promoting peace, stability, and security in the Horn of Africa.

The Ministry clarified that Somalia will not permit any form of foreign military bases or arrangements on its territory that could push the country into proxy wars or facilitate the transfer of regional and global hostile activities.

The statement said Somalia reiterates its unwavering and unshakeable commitment to its sovereignty, national unity, and territorial integrity, as enshrined in the Transitional Federal Charter of the Federal Republic of Somalia, the United Nations Charter, and the Constitutive Act of the African Union.

The Ministry denounced Israel's claim to recognize the northern part of Somalia as a deliberate attack and an illegal step, and completely rejected it.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that the so-called Somaliland, also known as the Republic of Somaliland, is an indivisible and inseparable part of the sovereign territory of the Federal Republic of Somalia. Somalia is a single sovereign state that cannot be divided, and no external party has the authority to alter its unity or territorial structure.

The statement further said that any declaration, recognition, or arrangement that undermines this fact is null, void, and has no legal or political status under international law. All matters related to Somalia's system of government and constitutional framework are the sole internal prerogative of the Somali people, which can only be resolved through legal, constitutional, and peaceful means.

The Somali government warned that such illegal actions severely undermine regional peace and stability and increase political and security tensions in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Middle East, and the entire region.