Somali President Calls Israel’s Recognition of Somaliland ‘Illegal Aggression’

GOOBJOOG NEWS|MOGADISHU: President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has strongly condemned Israel’s decision to recognise Somaliland, describing the move as an illegal act that violates international law and interferes in Somalia’s internal affairs.

In his first personal response since the Israeli announcement, the President said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s action amounted to “illegal aggression” against Somalia’s sovereignty, stressing that no external actor has the authority to recognise a part of the country without the consent of the Somali state.

“Meddling with Somalia’s internal affairs is contrary to established legal and diplomatic rules,” President Hassan Sheikh said, reaffirming that Somalia’s unity is non-negotiable. “Somalia and its people are one, inseparable by division from afar.”

The President’s remarks follow an extraordinary meeting of the Federal Government Cabinet, which earlier issued a formal statement rejecting Israel’s recognition of Somaliland and warning that the move undermines Somalia’s territorial integrity and the foundations of regional stability.

Somalia maintains that Somaliland remains an integral part of the Federal Republic, a position anchored in international law, the African Union Constitutive Act, and the long-standing principle of respect for colonial borders inherited at independence.

President Hassan Sheikh’s statement aligns Somalia with a growing list of regional and international actors who have rejected the Israeli decision, including the African Union, IGAD, the Arab League, the Gulf Cooperation Council, and several individual states that have reiterated support for Somalia’s unity and sovereignty.

The recognition of Somaliland by Israel has triggered intense diplomatic fallout across the Horn of Africa, with Mogadishu warning that unilateral recognitions risk setting a dangerous precedent that could destabilise the region.

Somalia has called on the international community to uphold international law, respect the country’s territorial integrity, and refrain from actions that could inflame tensions or undermine ongoing state-building and reconciliation efforts.

Officials in Mogadishu say Somalia will continue to pursue diplomatic and legal avenues to challenge the recognition and safeguard its sovereignty on regional and international platforms.