Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty on Monday called for an emergency session of the African Union Peace and Security Council to reject Israel’s recognition of Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland.

Speaking during a virtual ministerial meeting of the council, Abdelatty described the Israeli move as “a flagrant violation of international law, the UN Charter, and the Constitutive Act of the African Union.”

He warned that Israel’s recognition of Somaliland undermines the foundations of regional and international peace and security, particularly in the Horn of Africa region.

Abdelatty called for convening an emergency meeting of the AU Peace and Security Council to address the development and reaffirm Somalia’s unity and territorial integrity, as well as rejecting unilateral actions that threaten regional and international peace and security.

On Sunday, the Arab League called on the UN Security Council to take a firm stance on Israel’s recognition of Somaliand. In a statement following an emergency meeting in Cairo, the pan-Arab body stressed Mogadishu’s right to legitimate self-defense of its territory.

Israel became the world’s first country to recognize Somaliland as a sovereign state on Friday, drawing condemnation from Türkiye, a close ally of Somalia, and countries in Africa and the Middle East, among others.

Global backlash grew over Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, with many countries condemning the move as a violation of international law and a threat to regional stability.

On Friday, Somalia reiterated its absolute and non-negotiable commitment to its sovereignty, national unity, and territorial integrity following Israel’s recognition of Somaliland.

Somaliland, which has lacked official recognition since declaring independence from Somalia in 1991, operates as a de facto independent administrative, political, and security entity, with the central government struggling to assert control over the region and its leadership unable to secure international recognition of independence. (AA)

Update news