MOGADISHU, Somalia – President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has conducted a series of urgent diplomatic consultations with key leaders across East Africa and the Horn, rallying regional support in the wake of what Mogadishu has termed an “illegal violation” of its sovereignty by the Israeli Prime Minister. On Saturday, the President spoke via telephone with the heads of state of Djibouti, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda to address the threat this development poses to regional stability and international law.
The high-level discussions included conversations with President Ismail Omar Guelleh of Djibouti, who serves as the Chair of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), and President William Ruto of Kenya, a key leader within the East African Community (EAC). President Mohamud also engaged with President Samia Suluhu Hassan of the United Republic of Tanzania and President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda. The primary focus of these engagements was the Israeli administration’s move regarding the northern regions of Somalia, which the leaders agreed poses a severe risk to the security architecture of the region and contradicts established global norms.
According to the statement from the Presidency, the East African leaders issued a strong and unified declaration of their “full support” for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political independence of the Federal Republic of Somalia. They emphasized that any recognition of a territory belonging to an independent United Nations member state constitutes a clear violation of the UN Charter. The leaders reiterated that such actions contravene the African Union’s founding principle of respecting borders existing on achievement of independence, as well as the international laws governing state relations.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is continuing his diplomatic campaign, with plans to extend consultations to other global leaders. The objective is to consolidate international opinion and fortify the necessary legal, diplomatic, and political measures required to defend the nation’s unity. The Federal Government has made it clear that it will pursue all available avenues under international law to protect its national dignity and territorial integrity against external encroachment.
