Somalia\u2019s Foreign Ministry has strongly condemned the visit of Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa\u2019ar to Hargeisa, describing it as a serious violation of Somalia\u2019s territorial sovereignty and an unacceptable interference in the internal affairs of a United Nations member state.<\/p>\n
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the ministry said the visit contravenes the UN Charter, the African Union\u2019s founding act, and established international norms governing relations between sovereign states. It warned that any engagement treating Somaliland as a separate state undermines Somalia\u2019s internationally recognized borders.<\/p>\n
Sa\u2019ar\u2019s trip marks his first official visit to Somaliland since Israel formally recognized the territory\u2019s sovereignty on December 26, a move that has triggered diplomatic backlash across the Horn of Africa and beyond. During the visit, the Israeli foreign minister met with Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, with both leaders addressing a joint press conference at the presidential palace in Hargeisa.<\/p>\n
Somalia reiterated that it considers Somaliland an integral part of its territory, despite the region\u2019s self-declared independence in 1991, which has not been recognized by the United Nations or the African Union.<\/p>\n
The visit has also prompted broader regional concern. The African Union has convened an emergency ministerial meeting to discuss Israel\u2019s recognition of Somaliland and its potential implications for regional stability and the principle of territorial integrity across Africa.<\/p>\n
Analysts say Israel\u2019s decision represents a significant diplomatic shift in the region, with potential consequences for relations between Mogadishu, Hargeisa and international partners, as well as for longstanding debates over self-determination and sovereignty on the continent.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Somalia\u2019s Foreign Ministry has strongly condemned the visit of Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa\u2019ar to Hargeisa, describing it as a serious violation of Somalia\u2019s territorial sovereignty and an unacceptable interference in the internal affairs of a United Nations member state. In a statement issued on Tuesday, the ministry said the visit contravenes the UN Charter,<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14941,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"twitter_1160854738579181570_1160854738579181570":"","facebook_3558452337540614_100649324928663":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[1633,806,2679,1570,981,2678,1566,2680],"class_list":{"0":"post-14940","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-politics","8":"tag-african-union","9":"tag-diplomacy","10":"tag-gideon-saar","11":"tag-horn-of-africa","12":"tag-israel","13":"tag-somalia","14":"tag-somaliland","15":"tag-territorial-sovereignty"},"yoast_head":"\n