• Pakistan terms Tel Aviv’s unilateral, unlawful recognition ‘deeply troubling’
• UNSC members warn move may lead to Palestinian displacement, military bases

UNITED NATIONS: The United States defended Israel’s decision to recognise Somalia’s breakaway territory of Somaliland at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Monday, as several countries, including Pakistan, questioned whether the move could be linked to proposals to forcibly relocate Palestinians from Gaza or to establish military bases.

Israel announced on Friday it would recognise Somaliland as an independent state, becoming the first country to do so. The decision drew criticism from Somalia and other states that insist Somaliland remains part of Somalia, which is a UN member.

Pakistan’s Deputy UN Ambassador Muhammad Usman Iqbal Jadoon told the council that Israel’s “unilateral and unlawful recognition” was “deeply troubling”, citing earlier references to Somaliland as a possible destination for the deportation of Palestinians, particularly from Gaza.

In March, the Associated Press reported that the US and Israel had approached officials in Sudan, Somalia and Somaliland to discuss using their territories as potential destinations for forcibly relocating Palestinians from Gaza.

“For decades, Israel’s dispossession and occupation of Palestinian land have been a central source of instability and conflict in the Middle East. It is now exporting this destabilising conduct to the Horn of Africa, with serious implications for regional peace and security,” Mr Jadoon said.

He said that Pakistan unequivocally rejected any proposals or plans aimed at the forced displacement of Palestinians. He noted that a previous UNSC resolution had endorsed US President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan, noting that it stated that “no one will be forced to leave Gaza”.

“Any actions that advocate or imply displacement or resettlement not only violate international law but also undermine the prospect of a just and lasting peace,” he said.

“We reaffirm our steadfast support for the Palestinian people in their legitimate struggle for self-determination. The only path to lasting peace and stability lies in the realization of an independent, contiguous and sovereign state of Palestine on pre-1967 borders, with Al Quds Al Sharif as its capital,” he said.

Mr Jadoon also reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, saying Somaliland remained “an integral, inseparable and inalienable” part of Somalia. He urged the international community to reject actions that, he said, weakened Somalia at a time when it was focused on combating extremism.

Somalia’s UN Ambassador Abukar Dahir Osman said Council members Algeria, Guyana, Sierra Leone and Somalia “unequivocally reject any steps aimed at advancing this objective, including any attempt by Israel to relocate the Palestinian population from Gaza to the northwestern region of Somalia”.

Arab League UN Ambassador Maged Abdelfattah Abdelaziz said the bloc rejected “any measures” arising from Israel’s recognition that could facilitate the forced displacement of Palestinians or exploit ports in northern Somalia to establish military bases.

However, the United States defended Israel’s decision to recognise Somaliland. “Israel has the same right to conduct diplomatic relations as any other sovereign state,” Tammy Bruce, deputy US ambassador to the UN, told meeting.

“Earlier this year, several countries, including members of this council, made the unilateral decision to recognise a non-existent Palestinian state, and yet no emergency meeting was called to express this Council’s outrage,” she added, accusing colleagues of “double standards”.

US President Donald Trump has said he opposes recognition of Somaliland, and Bruce said on Monday that “there has been no change in American policy”.

Several member states voiced commitment to Somalia’s territorial unity without directly mentioning Israel.

United Kingdom Ambassador James Kariuki reaffirmed the country’s support for “the sovereignty, territorial integrity, political independence and unity of Somalia”.

Published in Dawn, December 31st, 2025