- Pakistan calls to move unilaterally, illegal, violation of international law.
- Envoy calls on UN Security Council to reject actions that undermine Somalia’s unity.
- OIC, UK, China reject recognition of Somaliland as independent.
In the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), Pakistan has strongly condemned Israel’s “unilateral and illegal” recognition of the “Somaliland” region of the Federal Republic of Somalia, drawing condemnation from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and other countries.
“It is a direct attack on Somalia’s internationally recognized borders,” said Pakistan’s Acting Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Usman Jadoon, while addressing the UNSC briefing on Monday.
He added that Tel Aviv’s move “constitutes a flagrant violation of international law.”
Israel on Friday became the first country to formally recognize the self-proclaimed Republic of Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state. This decision could reshape regional dynamics and test Somalia’s longstanding resistance to secession.
Pakistan’s foreign ministry had reacted strongly to the Israeli announcement, terming it a violation of international norms and affirming Islamabad’s full support for Somalia’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity.
The OIC and other countries, in a joint statement issued on Sunday, criticized Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, terming it a threat to international peace and security.
China and the United Kingdom (UK) are also among the countries that refused to recognize the Somaliland region as independent.
“The ‘Somaliland’ region remains an integral, inseparable and inalienable part of Somalia. No external actor has either the legal status or the moral authority to change the fundamental reality,” the envoy said.
“A group of OIC countries, including Pakistan, have unequivocally rejected Israel’s illegal move, noting its grave consequences for peace and security in the Horn of Africa, the Red Sea region and international peace and security as a whole. The joint statement termed the ‘recognition of parts of states’ as a violation of the cardinal principles of international law and the UN Charter,” Jad-Paqten said.
The ambassador praised the President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud-led Somali government for making progress on national reconciliation, constitutional reforms and revitalization of state institutions.
“Similarly, the gradual two-year transition of the UN presence in Somalia is progressing smoothly. The handover of responsibilities under the first phase of the United Nations Transitional Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNTMIS) has been completed and the roadmap for the second and final phase has been finalized, with the mission scheduled to cease operations in October 2031.”
Islamabad also acknowledged the sacrifices and resilience of the Somali people and their security forces, supported by AU-UN missions, against terrorism.
Pakistan urged that the positive momentum must be protected and reinforced, not undermined by actions that risk fragmenting the country and reversing hard-won progress.
“Therefore, at this crucial time when Somalia is focused on defeating extremism, any action that distracts, weakens cohesion or promotes division is deeply irresponsible.”
Given Israel’s previous references to Somaliland as a destination for the deportation of Palestinian people, particularly from Gaza, Jadoon said its illegal recognition of the region is deeply troubling.
“For decades, Israel’s occupation and occupation of Palestinian land has been a central source of instability and conflict in the Middle East,” the envoy said.
“It is now exporting this destabilizing behavior to the Horn of Africa, with serious consequences for regional peace and security,” he added.
In conclusion, Pakistan called on the Security Council and the wider international community to speak with one voice and reject all actions that undermine the unity and territorial integrity of Somalia.
