The European Union has said respecting Somalia’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity is “key for the peace and stability of the entire Horn of Africa region,” following Israel’s recognition of Somaliland as an independent state a day earlier.
In a statement on Saturday, the bloc said it “reaffirms the importance of respecting the unity, the sovereignty and the territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia,” in line with its constitution and the charters of the African Union and the UN.
The EU said it “encourages meaningful dialogue between Somaliland and the Federal Government of Somalia to resolve long-standing differences.”
The recognition of the Somaliland region by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is against international law, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said.
“The illegal aggression of PM Netanyahu in recognising a part of Somalia’s northern region is against international law,” Mohamud wrote on X.
“Meddling with Somalia’s internal affairs is contrary to established legal & diplomatic rules. Somalia & its people are one: inseparable by division from afar,” he added.
Israel became the world’s first country on Friday to recognise Somaliland as a sovereign state, drawing condemnation from Türkiye and countries in Africa and the Middle East, among others.
