• Joint statement terms action ‘serious precedent’, says it threatens international peace; also slams ‘link’ to expulsion of Palestinians
• Dar speaks to Somali, Egyptian counterparts; reaffirms full support at UN, other forums
• African country’s president describes recognition as ‘threat to regional security’

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Sunday reaffirmed its support for Somalia as it joined the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and 20 other Muslim nations in condemning Israel for undermining the African country’s sovereignty by formally recognising its breakaway region of Somaliland.

The foreign ministers of Pakistan, Jordan, Egypt, Algeria, Comoros, Djibouti, Gambia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Maldives, Nigeria, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Turkiye, Yemen, as well as the OIC issued a joint statement to reject Israel step.

For its part, Somalia declared the Israeli decision as a “deliberate attack” on its sovereignty.

In a call with Somali Foreign Minister Abdisalam Abdi Ali, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar reaffirmed Pakistan’s full support for Somalia’s sovereignty.

“The Somali foreign minister thanked the DPM/FM for standing by Somalia and for Pakistan’s continued and sustained support,” read a statement issued by the Foreign Office. “He [Somali minister] also sought Pakistan’s assistance in raising Somalia’s concerns at the UN Security Council.”

The FO said Mr Dar affirmed Pakistan’s full support for Somalia at the UN and other multilateral forums.

In a separate call with Egyptian Foreign Minister Dr Badr Abdelatty, Mr Dar discussed regional and global developments, particularly focusing on Somalia and Yemen, the FO said in another statement.

They reaffirmed their shared commitment to promoting regional peace, stability and development.

OIC condemns Israeli move

The joint statement, shared by the FO, underscored the “unequivocal rejection” of Israel’s recognition of the ‘Somaliland’ region of the Federal Republic of Somalia.

It read that given the serious repercussions of such an unprecedented measure for peace and security in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea region, as well as its serious effects on international peace and security as a whole, the move “reflects Israel’s full and blatant disregard for international law”.

The statement added that the move “constitutes a grave violation of the principles of international law and the United Nations Charter, which explicitly stipulate the obligation to protect the sovereignty of states and their territorial integrity, and reflects Israel’s ‘expansionist’ policy”.

The signatories underscored their full support for the sovereignty of the Federal Republic of Somalia and their unequivocal rejection of any measures that undermined Somalia’s unity, territorial integrity or sovereignty over its entire territory.

“The recognition of parts of states constitutes a serious precedent, threatens international peace and security, and violates the cardinal principles of international law and the United Nations Charter,” the statement said.

The nations and the OIC also registered their “full rejection of any potential link between such a measure and attempts to forcibly expel the Palestinian people from their land, which is unequivocally rejected in any form as a matter of principle”.

‘Threat to regional stability’

Meanwhile, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud described Israel’s move as a “threat” to security and stability in the Horn of Africa, saying it encouraged secessionist groups, AFP reported.

Addressing an emergency parliamentary session, Mr Mohamud said the move was “tantamount to blunt aggression against the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and unity of the Somali Republic”.

He added that “the violations of [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu and his attempts to divide the Federal Republic of Somalia [are a] threat to the security and stability of the region and the world, and encourage hardline groups and secessionist movements, which exist or can exist in many regions of the world”.

Israel became the first country to formally recognise Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state on Friday, with Somaliland’s president, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, saying his state will join the Abraham Accords.

Somaliland has enjoyed effective autonomy — and relative peace and stability — since 1991, when Somalia descended into civil war, but the breakaway region has failed to receive recognition from any other country.

While several other nations, as well as the European Union, have called for respecting Somalia’s sovereignty, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has characterised the recognition as a continuation of the “spirit of the Abraham Accords”. However, the United States signalled it would not follow Israel’s lead.

Published in Dawn, December 29th, 2025