MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia condemned Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar’s visit to Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland, calling it an unauthorized incursion that violates Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Somalia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Hargeisa is “an integral and inseparable part of the sovereign territory of the Federal Republic of Somalia” and that any official engagement there without federal approval is “illegal, null, and void.”
The ministry called on Israel to immediately halt actions that undermine Somalia’s unity and internationally recognized borders.
The ministry also urged the United Nations, African Union, and other international partners to reaffirm support for Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Somalia emphasized its commitment to peaceful diplomacy while reserving the right to take all necessary legal and diplomatic measures.
Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar visited Hargeisa at the invitation of Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi.
Saar said the visit is aimed at strengthening relations between Israel and Somaliland and noted that mutual recognition and diplomatic ties “are not directed against anyone.”
He added that the President of Somaliland has accepted an invitation to make an official visit to Israel.
Somaliland is a breakaway region in northern Somalia that declared independence in 1991, but it is not internationally recognized as a sovereign state.
