Arab, Islamic bloc condemns Somaliland’s Jerusalem Embassy

Africa, International

Riyadh, SAUDI ARABIA (NPA) — Foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia and several Arab and Islamic countries have condemned the opening of a purported Somaliland embassy in occupied Jerusalem, describing the move as illegal and a violation of international law.

According to the Saudi Press Agency, the ministers issued the condemnation in a joint statement released on Saturday in Riyadh.

The statement was signed by the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Jordan, Türkiye, Pakistan, Indonesia, Djibouti, Somalia, Palestine, Oman, Sudan, Yemen, Lebanon, Mauritania, Kuwait, Algeria, Bangladesh, and Morocco.

The ministers described the move by the self-declared Somaliland region as “illegal and unacceptable,” saying it constituted a flagrant violation of international law and relevant international resolutions.

They also said the development represented a direct infringement on the legal and historical status of occupied Jerusalem.

The ministers reaffirmed their rejection of unilateral measures aimed at changing realities in occupied Jerusalem or granting legitimacy to arrangements that contradict international law and United Nations resolutions.

They stressed that East Jerusalem has remained an occupied Palestinian territory since 1967 and maintained that any action intended to alter its legal or historical status is null and void and without legal effect.

The joint statement further reiterated support for the unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia, while rejecting what it described as any unilateral sovereignty claims.

Somaliland, a self-declared republic in northern Somalia, declared independence from Somalia in 1991, although it has not received widespread international recognition.

The ministers’ position reflects continuing regional and international support for Somalia’s territorial integrity amid longstanding disputes over Somaliland’s status.

According to the Saudi Press Agency, the ministers urged adherence to international law and relevant United Nations resolutions regarding the status of Jerusalem and Palestinian territories.