Mogadishu (SONNA) — The Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism of the Federal Government of Somalia, H.E. Daud Aweis Jama, stressed the Federal Government’s categorical rejection of Israel’s decision to recognize “Somaliland,” describing the move as a dangerous breach of international charters and a violation of the country’s unity.
In exclusive remarks to Al Jazeera, the minister affirmed that the government will not compromise in protecting its territorial integrity, relying on diplomatic momentum and the broad international support that Somalia’s case has received.
The minister said: “I believe this is a new indication of the violations Israel is committing against Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. We have previously made it clear that Somalia is one unified, sovereign state, and its territorial integrity cannot be violated. Therefore, we view this decision as a new violation committed by Israel against Somalia’s sovereignty, and the Somali government categorically rejects it.”
Regarding the measures the government will take in response to the decision, the minister explained: “We made it clear in the statement issued three days ago that any act violating Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity cannot be accepted by the Somali government. We also affirmed that the highest priority for the Somali government is to address this issue through diplomatic channels. In fact, diplomatic efforts began on December 26, the date on which Israel recognized Somaliland. Therefore, we continue to rely on diplomatic channels to ensure that this matter does not proceed further. We have already received positive support from across the world, including the United Nations, a number of Islamic countries, as well as the African Union and other international organizations, all of which consider this act a violation of Somalia’s territorial integrity.”
Speaking about Israel’s attempts to destabilize the region and their internal impact, the minister added: “As I mentioned earlier, diplomatic channels are the top priority for the Somali government. We are pursuing this through our engagement with the United Nations and other international organizations, and we are indeed pleased that many countries agree with us that this constitutes a violation of our sovereignty and territorial integrity. It also indicates an attempt by Israel to create tensions and conflicts in the region. We also believe that even within the Somaliland region, there are only a few officials pushing this idea of recognition between Israel and Somaliland. However, we also believe that the people of Somaliland hold a different view and do not agree with this aggressive decision taken by the Israeli government.”
The minister concluded by warning against being drawn into new conflicts that could hinder the country’s efforts to combat terrorism, stating: “In every conflict or problem around the world, Somalia believes that the only path to a solution lies in diplomatic channels. We do not want more conflicts in the region. We have experienced enough conflicts, including civil war, in addition to the challenges facing the region, including terrorist groups in Somalia such as Al-Shabaab militants and ISIS. The Somali government is making significant efforts to succeed in this war against terrorist groups, in which we are achieving considerable gains. Therefore, we believe that countries in the region and the international community will not accept further escalation and more conflicts in the region. As a result, the United Nations has held meetings in response to Somalia’s complaints, and we have received substantial support, as I mentioned. For this reason, we continue to see diplomatic channels as our chosen path, a path that has proven successful. We believe that, ultimately, Israel must accept the reality and avoid creating a new conflict zone in the Horn of Africa, a region that has faced numerous challenges for decades. Accordingly, we do not believe that the world will accept any new violations, not only against Somalia but also against overall peace.”
