Over 20 Nations Reaffirm Somalia’s Sovereignty, Condemn Israel FM’s Visit to Somaliland

More than twenty nations have reaffirmed Somalia’s sovereignty and condemned a recent visit by Israel’s foreign minister to Somaliland, a self-declared breakaway region, according to a joint statement issued early Friday.

The countries rejected Israel’s recognition of Somaliland as an independent state, reaffirmed Somalia’s territorial integrity, and called on Israel to immediately revoke its recognition.

The 21 signatories include Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Bangladesh, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, The Gambia, Indonesia, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Maldives, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Somalia, Sudan, and Turkiye. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) also endorsed the statement.

The group condemned Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar’s visit to Somaliland on Tuesday, which came days after Israel became the only country to formally recognize the region’s independence.

Encouraging “secessionist agendas is unacceptable and risks exacerbating tensions in an already fragile region,” the statement said, while praising Somalia’s commitment to peaceful international engagement and international law.

Saar wrote on X that Israel was determined to “vigorously advance relations between Israel and Somaliland,” posting images of meetings with Somaliland’s leadership at the presidential palace. He added that Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi had accepted an invitation from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to visit Israel.

Somaliland has denied that Israel’s recognition would allow the establishment of Israeli military bases in the region or facilitate the resettlement of Palestinians from Gaza. Israeli officials have previously advocated what they describe as voluntary Palestinian migration from Gaza.