Mogadishu Conducts Intensive Diplomatic Consultations as Somaliland President Secretly Visits Israel

SadaNews - The Somali presidency announced today, Saturday, that President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is engaged in intensive diplomatic consultations with several leaders of East African and Horn of Africa countries, in response to what he described as a violation of the country’s sovereignty, following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's declaration of recognizing Somaliland as an independent republic.

This comes as the General Secretariat of the Arab League announced the convening of an emergency meeting of the League Council at the ambassadorial level tomorrow, Sunday, at Somalia's request to discuss the implications of the Israeli recognition.

The Somali presidency clarified in a statement that the government is proceeding with extensive diplomatic maneuvers at both the regional and international levels to protect Somalia’s sovereignty, emphasizing that regional leaders have expressed a united stance supporting Somalia’s unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.

The president held phone conversations with Djiboutian President, Chairperson of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Ismail Omar Guelleh, Kenyan President William Ruto, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, and Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, focusing the discussions on the political and security ramifications of the recent Israeli move.

The Somali president stated that "Netanyahu's aggressive act of recognizing part of northern Somalia is a violation of international law."

For his part, Somali Minister of Information Daud Aweys said that Israel's recognition of what is known as the "Republic of Somaliland" reflects an agenda to undermine the unity and sovereignty of Somalia.

Aweys added in an interview with Al Jazeera that the Israeli step harms the stability of Somalia and the Horn of Africa region.

He affirmed his country's categorical rejection of any state’s recognition of what is known as the "Republic of Somaliland," noting that Mogadishu will resort to diplomatic means to prevent this recognition.

The president of the so-called "Republic of Somaliland" Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi had earlier expressed his "deep appreciation" to the State of Israel for what he described as a courageous decision to recognize the Republic of Somaliland, asserting that the move contributes to the promotion of regional and international peace.

The Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported, citing an unnamed source, that Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi secretly visited Israel last summer and met with Netanyahu and the head of the Mossad.