By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and a coalition of more than 20 predominantly Muslim nations, joined by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, issued a forceful condemnation on Thursday of a visit by Israel’s foreign minister to the breakaway region of Somaliland, calling it a blatant infringement on Somalia’s sovereignty and a threat to regional stability.
The statement, released by Pakistan’s Foreign Office on behalf of the group, described the trip by Gideon Saar on Tuesday as a “clear violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia” that “undermines established international norms and the United Nations Charter.”
Somalia swiftly denounced the visit as an “unauthorised incursion,” escalating tensions in the Horn of Africa just weeks after Israel became the first country to formally recognize Somaliland as an independent state. That move, announced last month, drew immediate backlash from the same coalition, which on Dec. 27, 2025, rejected the recognition as reflecting Israel’s “full and blatant disregard for international law.”
The latest joint declaration, signed by the foreign ministers of Algeria, Bangladesh, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Gambia, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Maldives, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Turkey and Yemen, as well as the OIC, reaffirmed the group’s “unwavering support for the sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of Somalia.”
It highlighted that “encouraging secessionist agendas are unacceptable and risk exacerbating tensions in an already fragile region,” while stressing that “respect for international law, non-interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states, and adherence to diplomatic norms are essential for regional and international stability.” The ministers commended Somalia’s “commitment to peaceful international engagement, constructive diplomacy and international law,” and pledged to “continue supporting diplomatic and legal measures taken by Somalia to safeguard its sovereignty, territorial integrity and stability in line with international law.”
They further demanded that Israel “fully respect Somalia’s sovereignty, national unity and territorial integrity, honour its international obligations, and immediately revoke its recognition of the ‘Somaliland’ region.”
Somaliland, which declared independence from Somalia in 1991 after a brutal civil war, has long sought global legitimacy but has largely been rebuffed amid concerns that recognition could provoke Mogadishu and embolden other separatist movements across Africa. The region maintains its own currency, passport and army, and holds a strategic perch on the Gulf of Aden, overlooking vital shipping lanes.
Israel’s decision to extend formal ties marked a breakthrough for Somaliland’s leaders, with President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi declaring that his government would join the Abraham Accords, the US-brokered normalization agreements between Israel and several Arab states. But the coalition’s earlier statement warned that Israel’s action carried “serious repercussions” for peace and security in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea, with potential ripple effects on “international peace and security as a whole.”
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