OIC, Arab and African Countries Reject Israel's Recognition of Somaliland
New Delhi: A day after Israel became the first country to recognise Somaliland as an independent state, 21 Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Arab, African and Muslim-majority countries registered their protest against the move, which could significantly alter the region’s geopolitical dynamics.
Somaliland has been effectively autonomous since 1991, when Somalia descended into civil war, but it had not received recognition from any other country.
Soon after Israel’s decision, Somalia’s government condemned the move as “unlawful” and a “deliberate attack” on its sovereignty.
On December 28, 2025, Somalia, along with Jordan, Egypt, Algeria, Comoros, Djibouti, The Gambia, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Maldives, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Turkey, Yemen, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Kuwait and Qatar unanimously and unequivocally rejected Israel’s recognition of Somaliland.
Joint Statement
The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, the Union of the Comoros, the Republic of Djibouti, the Republic of The Gambia, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the… pic.twitter.com/HQFVNOcryD
— وزارة الخارجية وشؤون المغتربين الأردنية (@ForeignMinistry) December 27, 2025
In a joint statement, the group said that such an unlawful recognition of Somaliland would have “serious repercussions… on peace and security in the Horn of Africa, the Red Sea”. It added that Israel’s move would have “serious effects on international peace and security as a whole, which also reflects Israel’s full and blatant disregard to international law”.
“Their condemnation in the strongest terms of such recognition, which constitutes a grave violation of the principles of international law and the United Nations Charter, explicitly stipulating the imperative of protecting the sovereignty of states and their territorial integrity, reflects Israel’s expansionist intent,” the statement said.
The group also expressed full support for the Federal Republic of Somalia and its “territorial integrity”.
“The recognition of parts of states constitutes a serious precedent, threatens international peace and security, and violates the cardinal principles of international law and the United Nations Charter,” the statement read.
It also rejected “any potential link” between Israel’s recognition of Somaliland and “any attempts to forcibly expel the Palestinian people out of their land”.
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