Somalia on Tuesday strongly condemned what it described as an "unauthorized incursion” by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar into Somaliland, warning that the move undermines Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and calling on Israel to immediately halt such actions.
Saar’s visit represents an "unacceptable interference" in the internal affairs of a sovereign U.N. member, a Foreign Ministry statement said.
Somalia said such actions violate the U.N. Charter, the African Union Constitutive Act, and established norms of international relations, including sovereign equality, territorial integrity, and non-interference.
It said Somaliland is an "integral and inseparable part” of Somalia.
Mogadishu said any official presence, contact, or engagement on its territory without the federal government’s explicit consent is illegal, null, and carries no legal effect.
The ministry urged the UN, African Union, League of Arab States, Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and other international partners to reaffirm their support for Somalia’s sovereignty and internationally recognized borders "in clear and unequivocal terms.”
"Somalia reserves the right to take all appropriate diplomatic and legal measures, in accordance with international law, to safeguard its sovereignty, national unity, and territorial integrity,” it said.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar arrived in Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland on Tuesday, almost two weeks after Tel Aviv recognized the region amid international outrage, according to media reports.
On Dec. 26, Israel announced its official recognition of Somaliland as an independent, sovereign state, making Tel Aviv the only country in the world to recognize the breakaway region.
The Israeli move sparked widespread regional rejection, particularly from the Arab countries, which described it as illegal and a threat to international peace and security.
Somalia also reaffirmed its firm and non-negotiable commitment to its sovereignty, national unity, and territorial integrity, rejecting the Israeli move.
Somaliland, which has lacked official recognition since declaring independence from Somalia in 1991, operates as a de facto independent administrative, political, and security entity, with the central government unable to assert control over the region, and its leadership unable to secure international recognition of independence.