Somali President Consults Regional Leaders Over Israel’s Somaliland Recognition

GOOBJOOG NEWS|MOGADISHU: President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has held a series of high-level phone consultations with regional leaders in East Africa and the Horn of Africa as Somalia steps up its diplomatic response to Israel’s recognition of Somaliland.

According to a statement from the Presidency, the calls focused on what Somalia described as a violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity following the decision announced by the Israeli prime minister.

President Hassan Sheikh spoke with Djibouti’s President Ismail Omar Guelleh, who is also the current chairperson of IGAD, Kenyan President William Ruto in his capacity as chair of the East African Community, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, and Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni.

During the conversations, the regional leaders expressed a unified position in support of Somalia’s nationhood and territorial integrity. They reaffirmed that any move to recognise any part of Somali territory as a separate state is illegal and runs counter to the principles of the United Nations Charter and the Constitutive Act of the African Union.

The leaders also underscored the importance of preserving regional stability, warning that unilateral actions affecting Somalia’s territorial unity risk destabilising the Horn of Africa.

The consultations form part of a broader diplomatic strategy by the Somali government to mobilise regional and international support through legal and political channels. Mogadishu has said it will continue to engage multilateral organisations and bilateral partners to defend Somalia’s sovereignty while working to prevent escalation that could undermine peace and security in the region.