Somalia opposes forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza
Somalia opposes forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza
M.U.H
29/12/202527
Tehran: Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has reiterated his country’s firm opposition to any attempts at the forced displacement of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.
According to Russia’s Sputnik on Sunday, in response to recent developments in Gaza and Israel’s move to recognize Somaliland, Sheikh Mohamud stated that Somalia will neither serve as a venue for regional conflicts nor accept any plans for the resettlement of Palestinians.
Addressing the Federal Parliament of Somalia, he emphasized that the country will never become a stage for aggression against other nations and opposes the transfer of wars to its territory. He described Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s actions as the gravest violation of Somalia’s sovereignty and rejected any attempts to drag regional crises into Somalia.
Meanwhile, Somalia’s Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre condemned Israel’s recognition of Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state, calling the move null and void and lacking any legal basis. “Somalia is an independent country with internationally recognized borders, and any infringement upon its unity and territorial integrity is a clear violation of international law,” he stated. “The Federal Government and the people of Somalia categorically reject this action.”
Barre described Israel’s stance as hasty and argued that it would have been more appropriate for the regime to recognize the State of Palestine, which remains under occupation and aggression. He also warned that Israel’s actions may aim to solidify its influence in the Horn of Africa and gain control over the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait, including through the establishment of military bases—a move he said poses a direct threat to Somalia’s security and that of the entire region.
Israel’s recognition of Somaliland has sparked widespread condemnation from Somalia, neighboring countries, and international organizations, which have rejected the move as a violation of Somalia’s sovereignty and international law. Reactions intensified after Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu announced on Friday that Israel and Somaliland had signed a joint declaration establishing full diplomatic relations, describing it as “in the spirit of the Abraham Accords,” a 2020 U.S.-brokered agreement that normalized ties between Israel and several Arab states.
Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 but has not received recognition from any United Nations member state.
