ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — The African Union’s Peace and Security Council on Tuesday strongly condemned what it described as Israel’s unilateral recognition of Somaliland, calling the move a violation of international law and reaffirming its support for Somalia’s territorial integrity.
In a statement issued after its 1324th ministerial meeting, the council said it “strongly condemns, in the strongest terms, the unilateral recognition of the so-called ‘Republic of Somaliland’ by Israel and calls for its immediate revocation.”
The council reaffirmed its “unwavering commitment to the sovereignty, unity, territorial integrity and stability of the Federal Republic of Somalia,” citing the African Union Constitutive Act, the Peace and Security Council Protocol and the United Nations Charter as the legal basis for its position.
“The council stresses that no actor has the authority or legal standing to alter the territorial configuration of an AU member state,” the statement said, adding that any such declaration is “null and void under international law.”
Somaliland, a self-declared republic in northern Somalia, has operated with its own government and institutions since 1991 but is not internationally recognized as an independent state. The African Union and the United Nations continue to recognize Somaliland as part of Somalia.
The AU’s Peace and Security Council, which is responsible for conflict prevention and resolution on the continent, did not provide details on the circumstances surrounding Israel’s reported action. A formal communiqué from the meeting is expected to be released in the coming days, according to the statement.
Somalia’s federal government has consistently opposed any international engagement that treats Somaliland as a sovereign state. Somali officials have repeatedly said such actions undermine the country’s unity and violate international norms.
“The sovereignty and territorial integrity of Somalia are non-negotiable,” Somali government officials have said in previous statements, emphasizing that recognition of Somaliland would contravene established international law.
The African Union has long maintained that changes to borders inherited at independence must be avoided to prevent instability, a principle enshrined in its founding documents. Article 4 of the AU Constitutive Act affirms respect for borders existing at the time of independence, while the U.N. Charter upholds the territorial integrity of member states.
The council’s statement underscores growing sensitivity within the AU over unilateral actions by external actors that could affect political stability in the Horn of Africa, a region already facing security, humanitarian and governance challenges.
