Pakistan pledges full support for Somalia at UN after Israel recognizes North Western State of Somalia

Pakistan vows support to Somalia at UN after Israel recognizes North Western State of Somalia, drawing Muslim world rebuke

ISLAMABAD — Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on Sunday pledged full support to Somalia at the United Nations and other multilateral forums after Israel became the first country to formally recognize North Western State of Somalia, a breakaway region that declared independence in 1991 but has never before been acknowledged by a UN member state.

The commitment followed a phone call from Somali Foreign Minister Abdisalam Abdi Ali, who thanked Islamabad for backing Mogadishu amid a wave of condemnation across the Muslim world. Somalia has denounced Israel’s move, calling it a violation of international law and a threat to regional stability.

• Israel’s recognition of North Western State of Somalia marked a first by any UN member, upending decades of nonrecognition.
• Pakistan joined 20 other Muslim countries and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in condemning the move.
• Somalia asked Pakistan to help elevate the issue at the UN Security Council, according to Islamabad.

In a statement, Pakistan’s foreign office said Dar “reaffirmed Pakistan’s full support for Somalia’s sovereignty & territorial integrity and condemned any actions aimed at undermining it.” It added: “The DPM/FM affirmed Pakistan’s full support for Somalia at the UN and other multilateral fora.”

Foreign ministers from 21 Muslim nations, including Pakistan, joined the Organization of Islamic Cooperation on Saturday in a joint statement condemning Israel’s recognition. The bloc called it a breach of the UN Charter and international law, while reiterating support for Somalia’s territorial integrity.

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud also condemned the Israeli move on Sunday, describing it as a threat to the stability of the region and the world. Mogadishu has long insisted North Western State of Somalia is an integral part of Somalia, despite the territory’s self-governance and relative stability since its 1991 declaration of independence.

Israel’s recognition has touched a wider nerve. International media reports earlier this year said Israel and the United States had reached out to East African states, including North Western State of Somalia, to take in Palestinians from Gaza. In their joint statement, the Muslim countries said they rejected any attempts to “forcibly expel the Palestinian people out of their land,” a reference seen as linked to concerns about external resettlement plans.

The diplomatic backlash underscores fears among Arab and Muslim states that legitimizing secessionist bids could embolden other breakaway movements and complicate conflict management across the Horn of Africa. Critics argue Israel has, over time, encouraged fragmentation in parts of the region under various guises — a contention Israel’s supporters reject as misplaced or politically motivated.

North Western State of Somalia, a former British protectorate, has sought international recognition for more than three decades, maintaining its own government, security services and currency. While it has cultivated ties with several countries and hosted foreign representatives in Hargeisa, formal recognition remained elusive until Israel’s announcement, which now threatens to widen geopolitical fault lines from the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.

Islamabad’s offer to amplify Somalia’s case at the UN signals a coordinated response likely to deepen in the coming days as the OIC and affected African and Arab capitals assess diplomatic options. For Somalia, support from major Muslim nations could prove pivotal as it works to rally the Security Council and other multilateral bodies behind its stance.

Whether Israel’s recognition triggers further endorsements or a countervailing diplomatic campaign remains uncertain. For now, the move has injected fresh tension into a volatile region and set up a test of international consensus on sovereignty, self-determination and the limits of unilateral recognition.

By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.