The African Union (AU) and several countries have sharply condemned Israel’s decision to recognise Somaliland as an independent state, warning that the move threatens regional stability and undermines Somalia’s territorial integrity.
In a statement issued on Friday, AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf reaffirmed the bloc’s long-standing position on the inviolability of borders inherited at independence.
He cautioned that legitimising breakaway territories could set a dangerous precedent across the continent.
Israel became the first country to formally acknowledge Somaliland, announcing plans to deepen cooperation and establish full diplomatic ties.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the step as historic, while Somaliland’s President Abdirahman Abdullahi welcomed the recognition. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said both sides had agreed to open embassies.
Somalia reacted with fury. Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre denounced the decision as a direct attack on the country’s sovereignty. Foreign ministers of Somalia, Egypt, Turkey and Djibouti jointly rejected Israel’s declaration in a coordinated response.
Egypt’s foreign ministry said unilateral moves risk creating “parallel entities” and violate the UN Charter.
Somaliland, which declared independence in 1991 after the fall of Siad Barre, operates with its own institutions but remains internationally unrecognised. Its strategic coastal position on the Gulf of Aden has heightened concerns about geopolitical competition in the region.
