28/12/2025
The Arab League, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the African Union (AU), and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) have joined a growing list of countries and foreign ministers in condemning Israel’s formal recognition of Somaliland as an independent state.
In a series of statements, the regional blocs reaffirmed their support for Somalia’s sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity, warning that unilateral recognition of a breakaway region could undermine regional stability in the Horn of Africa.
Somaliland, which declared independence from Somalia in 1991 after the collapse of the central government of somalia, has spent more than three decades seeking international recognition. President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi (Irro), who took office last year, has made diplomatic recognition a central pillar of his administration’s agenda.
Israel announced on Friday that it considers Somaliland an “independent and sovereign state,” becoming the first state to make such a declaration. The move triggered an immediate response from the FGS, which described the decision as a “deliberate attack on Somalia’s sovereignty” and cautioned that it could destabilize an already fragile region.
Political analysts link Israel’s decision to reported commitments by Somaliland authorities to allow the establishment of an Israeli military presence in the strategic port city of Berbera. The location, overlooking the Gulf of Aden and near the Red Sea shipping lanes, is widely regarded as one of the world’s most sensitive maritime corridors.
Security experts warn that any foreign military deployment in Berbera could escalate regional and global security tensions, drawing in competing international powers and increasing militarization along key trade routes.
The development has intensified diplomatic pressure on international actors to uphold Somalia’s territorial integrity while raising broader concerns over the geopolitical consequences of external involvement in the Horn of Africa
