In a statement issued in Addis Ababa on Friday, December 26, African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf said the continental body was deeply concerned by recent developments touching on Somaliland, warning that any attempt to alter Somalia’s territorial status would violate foundational AU principles.
Youssouf maintained the AU’s long-standing position anchored in the Constitutive Act of the African Union, particularly the principle of respect for borders inherited at independence, as established by the 1964 resolution of the former Organization of African Unity (OAU).
“The Chairperson of the Commission firmly rejects any initiative or action aimed at recognising Somaliland as an independent entity,” the statement said, stressing that Somaliland remains an integral part of Somalia.
Yesterday,Israel became the first country to formally recognise Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland as an independent nation.
The AU cautioned that any effort to undermine Somalia’s unity and sovereignty would not only contravene the organisation’s core values but could also set a dangerous precedent with far-reaching consequences for peace and stability across Africa.
The Commission chairperson further reiterated the AU’s continued support for Somali authorities as they work to consolidate peace, strengthen state institutions and promote inclusive governance following decades of conflict and political fragility.
The statement comes amid renewed regional and international debate over Somaliland’s status, more than three decades after it declared independence from Somalia in 1991 a move that has never been recognised by the African Union or the United Nations.
The AU has consistently maintained that Somalia’s territorial integrity remains inviolable, positioning itself against unilateral secession efforts while backing Somali-led peace and state-building initiatives.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said Israel intended to immediately expand cooperation in agriculture, health, and technology. Somaliland’s president, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, called the development “a historic moment”.
Recognition by Israel could encourage other nations to follow suit, increasing the region’s diplomatic credentials and access to international markets.
Somalia’s prime minister, Hamza Abdi Barre, said his country categorically and unequivocally rejected what he called a deliberate attack by Israel on its sovereignty.
Abdullahi said in a statement that Somaliland would join the Abraham Accords, in what he called a step toward regional and global peace.
Somaliland was committed to building partnerships, boosting mutual prosperity and promoting stability across the Middle East and Africa, he added.
The decision has been condemned by the foreign ministers of Somalia, Egypt, Turkey and Djibouti, who in a statement affirmed their “total rejection” of Israel’s announcement.
The two countries had agreed to establish “full diplomatic ties, which will include the appointment of ambassadors and the opening of embassies”, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said in a statement on X.
“I have instructed my ministry to act immediately to institutionalize ties between the two countries across a wide range of fields,” he said.
