Addis Ababa (TDI): The African Union Commission strongly condemned reports that Israel has decided to appoint a diplomatic envoy to Somaliland, in a statement which was issued on Sunday.
The 55-member organization expressed deep concern over the move and warned it risks undermining regional stability in the Horn of Africa.
The African Union Commission reaffirmed its unwavering respect for the sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of Somalia.
This position is in accordance with the Constitutive Act of the African Union and international law. The Union does not recognize Somaliland as an independent state.
“The Commission reaffirms the African Union’s unwavering respect for the sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of Somalia, in accordance with the Constitutive Act of the African Union and international law,” the statement read.
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Unilateral Recognition Null and Void
The Commission recalled the communiqué from the 1324th meeting of the African Union Peace and Security Council on January 6. It underscored that any unilateral recognition of Somaliland is null and void and could destabilize the region.
Israel became the first country to formally recognize Somaliland as a sovereign state on December 26, 2025. Reports emerging last week suggest that Israel has appointed Michael Lotem, a former ambassador to Kenya, as a non-resident envoy to Somaliland.
Somalia rejected the appointment as its Prime Minister, Hamza Abdi Barre, called it a deliberate attack on Somalia’s sovereignty. The Somali foreign ministry described the appointment as a direct breach of national unity.
Foreign ministers from Egypt, Turkey, and Djibouti also condemned the move. The United Nations Security Council, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the European Union criticized Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, as it happened last year.
Somaliland has operated with its own government, currency, and security forces for more than three decades. It declared independence from Somalia in 1991 but lacks broad international recognition.
Muhammad Usman Hashmi is a researcher in International Relations, focusing on climate diplomacy, global governance, and political economy in the Global South. He has contributed to policy dialogues with the Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia and serves as a Senior Research Fellow at the International Council on Human Rights, Peace and Politics. He is also associated with Rethinking Economics Islamabad, contributing to research on development and sustainability.
