OIC condemns Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, rejects any attempt to expel Palestinians

Jeddah: The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has strongly condemned Israel’s recognition of the Somaliland region of Somalia and rejected any attempts to forcibly expel the Palestinian people from their land.

The condemnation was issued in a joint statement by the OIC General Secretariat and the foreign ministers of several member states, including Algeria, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Gambia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Maldives, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Türkiye, and Yemen.

The General Secretariat stated that Israel’s action constitutes a clear violation of the sovereignty, national unity, and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia. It reaffirmed the OIC’s full solidarity with Somalia and its unwavering support for the country’s sovereignty and territorial unity.

The Organisation emphasised the importance of preserving security, peace, and stability in the Horn of Africa and rejected any actions that could undermine regional stability.

In its statement, the OIC expressed its “unequivocal rejection of Israel’s recognition of the ‘Somaliland’ region,” warning that such an unprecedented measure could have serious repercussions for peace and security in the Horn of Africa, the Red Sea, and international peace and security as a whole.

The group criticised what it described as Israel’s “full and blatant disregard for international law” and reiterated its firm support for Somalia’s sovereignty.

The OIC also rejected “any potential link between such a measure (recognition of Somaliland) and any attempts to forcibly expel the Palestinian people from their land.”

The statement further underscored the necessity of adhering to the principles of the Charter of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the Charter of the United Nations, and international law, all of which emphasise respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of member states.