Overview
- Foreign ministers from 21 countries and the OIC issued a joint statement rejecting Israel’s December 26 recognition of Somaliland as a grave breach of international law and Somalia’s territorial integrity.
- The UN Security Council scheduled an emergency session for Monday in response to the backlash, with Somalia set to assume the Council’s rotating presidency next.
- Houthi leader Abdulmalik Al Houthi warned that any Israeli presence in Somaliland would be treated as a military target, calling the move a threat to Yemen and Red Sea security near Bab al-Mandeb.
- Regional organizations and states including IGAD, the African Union, the League of Arab States, the EU, Turkey, Jordan and Saudi Arabia criticized the decision and reaffirmed support for Somalia’s sovereignty.
- The joint statement rejected any linkage between Israel’s step and efforts to forcibly relocate Palestinians, after earlier reports suggested Somaliland had been approached about accepting people from Gaza.