China, Lebanon among new countries rejecting Israel's recognition of Somaliland

Israel's controversial decision to unilaterally recognise Somaliland continued to trigger a wave of condemnation, as governments across Africa, the Middle East and major international organisations reject the move as a violation of Somalia's territorial integrity and a threat to regional stability.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is wanted by the ICC for war crimes in Gaza, announced on Friday that Israel now recognises Somaliland as an independent state, making it the first country to do so since the territory declared independence in 1991.

Israeli officials said the agreement included plans to exchange ambassadors and open embassies, framing the move as being "in the spirit of the Abraham Accords".

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud called the recognition "a blunt aggression" and "a threat to the security and stability of the world and the region", insisting that Somaliland remains an inseparable part of Somalia.

Mogadishu condemned the decision as a "deliberate attack" on Somalia's sovereignty and international law.

China and regional powers reject recognition

China joined the chorus of denunciations of the move over the weekend, stating it opposes "any attempt to split territories in Somalia" and warned that states must not "encourage separatist forces for selfish interests". Beijing called on Somaliland authorities to stop "collusion with external forces".

Lebanon rejected the recognition and said respecting Somalia's unity was essential to upholding the UN Charter.

Egypt and Turkey issued similar warnings over the weekend, warning that unilateral recognition of breakaway regions within sovereign states risks destabilising the international system.

Qatar condemned the decision as a violation of international law and said it set a "dangerous precedent".

Doha said the recognition "undermines Somalia’s unity and territorial integrity" and warned against "imposed parallel entities" designed to destabilise Somalia.

The Qatari Foreign Ministry said Israeli authorities should "recognise the State of Palestine and work to end the war in Gaza rather than undermine international legitimacy".

Qatar reaffirmed support for Somalia’s institutions and rejected any attempts to use Somali territory in plans to forcibly displace Palestinians.

AU, GCC, Arab League and UAE denounce move

The African Union reiterated its support for Somalia's territorial integrity, warning that attempts to redraw borders could destabilise the Horn of Africa.

IGAD - a regional bloc of eight East African countries -  said the move "runs contrary to the charter of the United Nations" and international legal norms.

The Gulf Cooperation Council, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and more than 20 Middle Eastern and African governments issued a joint statement rejecting the recognition due to the "serious repercussions" for the Horn of Africa, the Red Sea and global security.

The UAE chaired an emergency session of the Arab League Council, which condemned the action as "an attack on Arab national security" and an attempt to undermine peace in the region.

The Council warned of repercussions for the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Horn of Africa, and rejected any attempts to use Somali territory to facilitate the displacement of Palestinians.

The body called for political, legal and diplomatic measures to confront the decision and urged states not to engage with Somaliland authorities outside Somali sovereignty.

Yemen's Houthis issue explicit military warning

Yemen's Houthi movement warned that any Israeli presence in Somaliland would be treated as a "military target".

Leader Abdulmalik al-Houthi said the recognition represents "aggression against Somalia and Yemen" and fits into Israel's strategy to expand into the Red Sea.

Analysts note that Israeli access to Somaliland's coastline could support operations against Yemen, where Israel has previously launched air strikes.

Forced displacement concerns resurface

The move has renewed concerns that the recognition is tied to attempts to forcibly remove Palestinians from Gaza.

US and Israeli officials previously told the Associated Press that Somaliland had been approached as a possible site for forced Palestinian resettlement under a proposal championed by Donald Trump.

The United States now says it recognises only Somalia's territorial integrity.

A joint statement from Middle Eastern and African states rejected "any potential link between such measure and attempts to forcibly expel the Palestinian people out of their land".

Somaliland recognition prospects shrink further

Rather than advancing Somaliland’s decades-long campaign for recognition, Israel’s move appears to have solidified international refusal.

The EU said Somalia's sovereignty must be respected. The US State Department said Washington recognises Somalia’s borders "which include Somaliland".

Somalia’s foreign minister has begun diplomatic outreach to secure a unified rejection of Israel's action, and Egypt, Turkiye and Djibouti have already pledged support.

As of now, no other state has followed Israel in recognising Somaliland, and Somalia has warned that any government that does so will be treated as complicit in violating its sovereignty.