ISLAMABAD: Pakistan joined 11 other countries in strongly condemning Israel’s decision to appoint a diplomatic representative to Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland, calling the move a violation of Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
According to a joint statement shared by Pakistan’s Foreign Office on Saturday, the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Somalia, Sudan, Libya, Bangladesh, Algeria, Palestine, Turkiye, Indonesia, Pakistan and Kuwait rejected Israel’s announcement and termed it a “flagrant violation” of the unity and sovereignty of the Federal Republic of Somalia.
Israel had announced on Wednesday the appointment of Michael Lotem as its first non-resident ambassador to Somaliland, marking a further step in its engagement with the self-declared republic.
The joint statement said the ministers firmly opposed all unilateral measures that undermine the unity of states or infringe upon their sovereignty, while reaffirming their full support for Somalia’s unity, territorial integrity and legitimate state institutions as the sole representatives of the Somali people.
They warned that such actions violated international law, the United Nations Charter and the Constitutive Act of the African Union, and could create a dangerous precedent threatening stability in the Horn of Africa and wider regional peace and security.
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) had also condemned Israel’s move earlier this week, reiterating support for Somalia’s internationally recognised government and its legitimate institutions.
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