MT Desk: The foreign ministers of Pakistan and more than 20 other Muslim-majority countries on Thursday strongly condemned the recent visit by Israel’s foreign minister to the ‘Somaliland’ region of the Federal Republic of Somalia, calling it a clear violation of the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, the Foreign Office said.

On Dec 26 last year, Israel became the first country to formally recognise the self-declared Republic of Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state—an act that was completely rejected by the foreign ministers of Muslim-majority countries in a statement issued on Dec 27.
On Tuesday, Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar arrived in Somaliland for the first high-level diplomatic visit following Israel’s recognition of the territory, prompting foreign ministers from Muslim-majority countries to issue a statement.Recalling their earlier position, the ministers reiterated their rejection of Israel’s recognition of the region and described the official visit as illegal. “The said visit constitutes a clear violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia, and undermines established international norms and the United Nations Charter,” the statement added. The ministers reaffirmed their unwavering support for Somalia’s sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity, warning that encouragement of secessionist agendas is unacceptable and “risk exacerbating tensions in an already fragile region”.The foreign ministers also commended Somalia for its commitment to peaceful international engagement, constructive diplomacy, and adherence to international law. They expressed their continued support for diplomatic and legal measures taken by Somalia to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity in accordance with international law.
The ministers stressed that Israel should fully respect Somalia’s sovereignty and national unity, comply with international law, and immediately revoke its recognition of Somaliland.