Anticipated Security Council Session on 'Somaliland'

SadaNews - The United Nations Security Council is set to hold an emergency meeting on Monday regarding Israel's controversial recognition of "Somaliland" as an independent state.

Ahead of the session, 21 countries, mostly Islamic, released a joint statement late Saturday warning of "serious repercussions" of the Israeli decision on "peace and security in the Horn of Africa" and in the broader Red Sea region.

"Somaliland," a predominantly Muslim region in northern Somalia with a population of a few million, has effectively operated independently for over three decades.

On Friday, Israel became the first country in the world to recognize the independence of the breakaway region, prompting condemnation from the Somali government and regional partners.

This decision came just days before Somalia is set to take on the rotating presidency of the United Nations Security Council.

The joint statement, published by Qatar, included the "unequivocal rejection" of the Israeli move by the 21 countries, warning that it "constitutes a serious violation of the principles of international law".

The statement also condemned "attempts to forcibly displace the Palestinian people from their land", following reports that the recognition was linked to efforts to resettle Palestinians from Gaza.

Abd al-Rahman Taher Dum, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of "Somaliland", told Israeli Channel 12 on Saturday that this step has nothing to do with the conflict in Gaza.

According to the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the recognition was made "in the spirit of the Abraham Accords", which saw several Arab countries officially recognize the state of Israel.