Somali Cabinet Holds Extraordinary Meeting After Israel Recognizes Somaliland

GOOBJOOG NEWS|MOGADISHU: Somalia’s federal cabinet held an extraordinary meeting on Thursday night amid growing diplomatic fallout from Israel’s decision to recognize the Somaliland region as an independent state.

While no official statement has yet been issued by the government, Goobjoog News has learnt that the emergency session focused on deliberations over a formal state response to the Israeli announcement, which is expected to be communicated on Friday.

The meeting comes as regional and international reactions continue to mount, with the League of Arab States, Turkey, Egypt and Djibouti publicly rejecting Israel’s move and reaffirming support for Somalia’s unity and territorial integrity.

Israel announced the recognition earlier on Thursday following a virtual meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi (Irro), marking the first recognition of Somaliland by a UN member state since it declared independence in 1991.

Somalia has previously maintained that any recognition of Somaliland constitutes a violation of its sovereignty and a breach of international law. The extraordinary cabinet meeting signals that Mogadishu is preparing an official diplomatic response as pressure builds on the federal government to articulate its position amid rapidly unfolding regional developments.

A formal statement from the Somali government is now expected in the coming hours.