Islamabad, Pakistan has joined 20 other countries and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in strongly rejecting Israel’s decision to recognise Somaliland as an independent state, warning that the move undermines Somalia’s sovereignty and risks destabilising the Horn of Africa and beyond.
In a joint statement released by Pakistan’s Foreign Office on Sunday, the foreign ministers of 21 countries — including Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, Iran, Egypt, Qatar, Somalia and Jordan — condemned Israel’s recognition of the self-declared Republic of Somaliland, calling it a violation of international law and the United Nations Charter.
The statement said the decision sets a dangerous precedent by challenging the principles of state sovereignty and territorial integrity, and could have serious repercussions for peace and security in the Horn of Africa, the Red Sea region and the wider international system.
Israel became the first country to formally recognise Somaliland on Friday.
Somaliland’s president, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, said following the announcement that the region would join the Abraham Accords. Somaliland has operated with de facto autonomy since 1991, following Somalia’s descent into civil war, but has never previously been recognised as a sovereign state.
The joint declaration reiterated full support for the sovereignty and unity of the Federal Republic of Somalia and rejected any actions that could undermine its territorial integrity. It stressed that recognising breakaway regions of sovereign states threatens international peace and violates established norms of international law.
The countries also firmly rejected what they described as any attempt to link Israel’s recognition of Somaliland with plans to forcibly displace Palestinians from their land. The statement said such actions were unacceptable under any circumstances and would constitute a grave breach of international principles.
In a separate statement issued a day earlier, Pakistan’s Foreign Office described Israel’s move as a direct attempt to undermine Somalia’s sovereignty. Islamabad urged the international community to reject such actions and to prevent steps that could further destabilise an already volatile region.
Somalia’s government has also condemned Israel’s decision, calling it a deliberate attack on its sovereignty. The African Union warned that the recognition could set a dangerous precedent with far-reaching consequences for peace and stability across Africa.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry said Israel had previously discussed Somaliland as a possible destination for the forced displacement of Palestinians, particularly from Gaza, and warned against any international complicity in such plans.
While Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the move as being in line with the “spirit of the Abraham Accords,” several countries and the European Union have reiterated their support for Somalia’s territorial integrity.
The United States has indicated it does not intend to follow Israel’s lead. President Donald Trump, when asked whether Washington would recognise Somaliland, responded in the negative, distancing the US from the decision.
