BREAKING: AU Calls For Immediate Revocation Of Israel’s Recognition Of Somaliland

GOOBJOOG NEWS|ADDIS ABABA: The African Union has called for the immediate revocation of Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, in a strongly worded draft declaration seen exclusively by Goobjoog News that reaffirms Somalia’s sovereignty and warns against any attempt to alter its territorial integrity.

The draft, titled “Declaration on the Preservation of the Sovereignty, Territorial Integrity, Unity, and Stability of the Federal Republic of Somalia,” was tabled at the 39th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly held in Addis Ababa on 14–15 February 2026.

In the document, African heads of state and government express “deep concern” over Israel’s recognition of the “so-called Republic of Somaliland” as an independent entity, describing it as a unilateral act that threatens Somalia’s unity and stability.

The draft states that the Assembly “strongly condemns and rejects” all acts of external actors specifically naming Israel and calls for the “immediate revocation” of the recognition.

The declaration grounds its position in the Constitutive Act of the African Union, particularly Article 3(b) on defending the sovereignty and territorial integrity of member states and Article 4(b) on respect for borders existing at independence. It also recalls the 1964 Cairo Resolution (AHG/Res.16(I)), which enshrined the principle of the inviolability of inherited colonial borders.

In addition, the draft fully endorses the Peace and Security Council Communique PSC/MIN/COMM.1324 (2026), adopted on 6 January 2026, condemning Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, as well as a 26 December 2025 statement by AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf rejecting any initiative aimed at recognizing Somaliland as an independent entity.

The Assembly warns that any attempt to alter the territorial configuration of an AU member state is “null, void, and without legal effect under international law,” and cautions that such actions risk setting a dangerous precedent for peace and stability across the continent, particularly in the Horn of Africa.

Israel’s move has drawn sharp condemnation from Mogadishu, which maintains that Somaliland despite operating with de facto autonomy since 1991 remains an integral part of Somalia’s internationally recognized territory.

If adopted as drafted, the declaration would represent one of the most forceful collective responses yet from African leaders, reinforcing the AU’s long-standing doctrine of territorial integrity and signaling unified opposition to any external recognition of Somaliland.