Foreign ministers from across the Middle East, Africa and Asia issued a joint statement condemning Israel’s recognition of the Somaliland region of the Federal Republic of Somalia, describing the move as a violation of international law and a threat to regional and global peace.
The statement, issued in Amman on December 27, 2025, was signed by the foreign ministers of Jordan, Egypt, Algeria, Comoros, Djibouti, The Gambia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Maldives, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Türkiye and Yemen, alongside the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.
The ministers said they “unequivocally” rejected Israel’s decision to recognise Somaliland on December 26, 2025, warning of “serious repercussions” for peace and security in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea, as well as wider international peace and security.
According to the statement, the move reflected Israel’s full and blatant disregard to international law and risked further destabilising an already fragile region.
Somaliland proclaimed independence from Somalia in May 1991, following the collapse of Somalia’s central government and years of civil war.
The move came after long-standing grievances in the north, including political marginalisation and widespread repression under former president Siad Barre, whose forces carried out devastating campaigns in the region during the 1980s.
Somaliland had previously existed as British Somaliland, gaining independence in June 1960 before voluntarily uniting with Italian Somaliland days later.
As Somalia descended into chaos, clan elders and leaders meeting in Burao declared the restoration of Somaliland’s sovereignty, arguing it offered the best path to peace and stability.
The ministers said they condemned in the strongest terms Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, describing it as a grave violation of the principles of international law and the United Nations Charter.
They said the UN Charter explicitly stipulates the imperative of protecting the sovereignty of states and their territorial integrity.
They added that the decision reflected Israel’s expansionist approach and set a dangerous precedent in international relations.
The joint statement reaffirmed full support of the sovereignty of the Federal Republic of Somalia and expressed the ministers’ unequivocal rejection of any measures that undermine the unity of Somalia, its territorial integrity or its sovereignty over its entire territory.
Somalia has long opposed any international recognition of Somaliland, a self-declared breakaway region that has operated with relative stability for more than three decades but is not recognised as an independent state by the United Nations.
The ministers warned that the recognition of parts of sovereign states constituted a serious precedent that threatens international peace and security.
They said such actions violate the cardinal principles of international law and the United Nations Charter.
They also rejected any attempt to link Israel’s recognition of Somaliland to broader geopolitical issues, including the Palestinian question.
The statement said there was “full rejection of any potential link between such measure and any attempts to forcibly expel the Palestinian people out of their land”.
The ministers said any such attempts were “unequivocally rejected in any form as a matter of principle”.
The statement reaffirms growing diplomatic opposition among Islamic states to Israel’s policies, both in the Horn of Africa and the Middle East.
By issuing a collective response, the ministers signalled their intention to defend the principles of state sovereignty and territorial integrity, while warning that unilateral recognitions could have far-reaching consequences for regional stability and the international order.
