Israeli FM's Somaliland visit draws criticism

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar's visit to Somaliland, almost two weeks after Israel recognized it on Dec 26, drew strong condemnation from Somalia, which called it an "unacceptable interference".

The controversial visit highlighted Israel's "desperation" in the face of rising resentment and blowback in the region, experts said.

In a post on X on Tuesday, Saar said the visit was also a message that Tel Aviv was "determined to vigorously advance relations between Israel and Somaliland" and that the mutual recognition and establishment of diplomatic relations "are not directed against anyone".

"Only Israel will decide whom it recognizes and with whom it maintains diplomatic relations," said Saar. Somaliland, which sits in the Horn of Africa, is a self-declared independent country with Hargeisa acting as its capital.

"This is an act of desperation," Abdul Wahed Jalal Nori, a lecturer in the Department of Fundamental and Inter-Disciplinary Studies at International Islamic University Malaysia, told China Daily.

"Israel is fueling regional resentment and diplomatic backlash. I don't think it will bring any benefits to the region and the people of Somaliland should recognize this. They are there not for their interest," said Abdul Wahed.

"This move reinforces perceptions that Israel is willing to deepen geopolitical fault lines to secure strategic allies," he added.

According to The Associated Press, Israel had approached Somaliland last year about taking in Palestinians from Gaza as part of a US plan at that time to resettle the territory's population.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Federal Republic of Somalia said it "condemns in the strongest terms the unauthorized incursion by the Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs into Hargeisa, an integral and inseparable part of the sovereign territory of the Federal Republic of Somalia".

"This action constitutes a serious violation of Somalia's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political unity, and represents an unacceptable interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign Member State of the United Nations," the statement said.

"Hargeisa forms an inalienable part of the internationally recognized territory of Somalia. Any official presence, contact, or engagement undertaken within Somali territory without the explicit consent and authorization of the Federal Government of Somalia is illegal, null, and void, and carries no legal validity or effect," it added.

Somalia's foreign ministry called on Israel "to immediately cease all actions that undermine Somalia's sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity, and to fully respect its obligations under international law".

The sweeping developments prompted an emergency virtual session of the African Union Peace and Security Council to discuss developments affecting Somalia's sovereignty.

At the session, Somalia's Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Abdisalam Abdi Ali warned that actions undermining Somalia's territorial integrity could pose risks to peace and security in the Horn of Africa, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, potentially affecting regional stability, counterterrorism efforts and maritime security.

The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation announced that an extraordinary meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers will be held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday, "to formulate a unified Islamic position on these violations and to reaffirm the Organization's unwavering support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Somalia".