Africa UN Security Council meets on Israel's recognition of Somaliland
The UN Security Council is meeting in emergency session over Israel's controversial recognition of the East African republic of Somaliland as an independent state.
28.12.2025, 02:05
SDA
Ahead of the meeting scheduled for Monday in New York, 21 predominantly Muslim countries issued a joint statement warning of the "grave consequences" of Israel's unprecedented actions for "peace and security in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea" and for international security.
On Friday, Israel became the first country in the world to recognize the breakaway region of Somaliland as a sovereign state. Somaliland, a Muslim region in northern Somalia with only a few million inhabitants, has been practically independent for more than three decades. Israel's action took place a few days before Somalia takes over the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council. The Somali government spoke of a "deliberate" and "unlawful" attack by Israel on the country's sovereignty.
"Serious violation of international law"
Israel's recognition of the breakaway region of Somaliland as a state constitutes a "serious violation of the principles of international law", according to the statement published by Qatar and issued by the 21 predominantly Muslim countries and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. They also rejected any "potential link" between Israel's move and attempts to expel Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, which has been devastated by Israel's war against the Islamist Palestinian organization Hamas.
Somaliland's Foreign Minister Abdirahman Dahir Adam told Israel's Channel 12 television station on Saturday that Israel's recognition of Somaliland as a sovereign state had nothing to do with the Gaza conflict. According to the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the move was made "in the spirit of the Abraham Accords". These agreements were initiated by US President Donald Trump in 2020 during his first term of office.
As a result, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan normalized their relations with Israel. The Times of Israel emphasized that the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco were not among the signatories of the joint declaration of the 21 predominantly Muslim countries on Israel's recognition of Somaliland as a state.
