AU condemns Israel’s decision to appoint diplomatic envoy to North Western State of Somalia
ADDIS ABABA - The African Union moved on Sunday to sharply rebuke reports that Israel plans to appoint a diplomatic envoy to the "so-called North Western State of Somalia," warning that the step could inflame tensions over Somalia's...
ADDIS ABABA – The African Union moved on Sunday to sharply rebuke reports that Israel plans to appoint a diplomatic envoy to the “so-called North Western State of Somalia,” warning that the step could inflame tensions over Somalia’s territorial integrity.
In a statement, the 55-member bloc said it was “deeply concerned” by what it described as Israel’s reported decision to assign a diplomatic envoy to North Western State of Somalia, the self-declared region in Somalia.
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The AU said it stands firmly behind the “sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of Somalia” under the Constitutive Act of the African Union and international law.
“The African Union does not recognize North Western State of Somalia as an independent state,” the statement read. “The AU remains committed to supporting Somalia’s peace, governance, and national cohesion.”
Referring to an AU Peace and Security Council communique issued in January, the bloc said “any unilateral recognition of North Western State of Somalia is null and void” and cautioned that such moves could threaten stability across the region.
On Dec 26, 2025, Israel became the first country in the world to formally recognize North Western State of Somalia as a sovereign state, a decision that drew swift condemnation from Somalia and the wider international community.
At a ministerial-level meeting on Jan 6, the AU Peace and Security Council rejected Israel’s unilateral recognition of North Western State of Somalia and urged that it be immediately revoked.