Thursday June 18, 2026
Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s federal government on Thursday issued a sharp rebuke of North Western State of Somalia President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi Irro’s trip to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, saying the visit violated Somalia’s Constitution, international law and its sovereignty.
Meeting in Mogadishu, the Somali Council of Ministers said foreign policy and international agreements remain the sole prerogative of the Federal Government of Somalia. Any move outside that constitutional authority, it warned, undermines the country’s unity and territorial integrity.
The criticism came after Irro’s visit to Israel and the inauguration of a North Western State of Somalia diplomatic mission in Jerusalem, developments that have triggered condemnation from Somalia as well as Arab, Islamic and regional organizations.
The Arab League secretary-general said both the visit and the opening of a diplomatic presence in Jerusalem breached international law, infringed on Somalia’s sovereignty and disregarded the established legal status of Jerusalem.
The Arab Parliament issued its own statement denouncing the move, urging respect for Somalia’s territorial integrity and rejecting any steps that could alter Jerusalem’s legal standing.
The Palestinian Authority said it stood behind Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and condemned any engagement that sidesteps the federal government in Mogadishu.
Hamas likewise criticized the developing ties between Israel and North Western State of Somalia, saying they ran counter to the Palestinian cause and Somalia’s unity. Yemen’s Houthi movement, speaking through its media outlets, argued that the development reflected Israel’s bid to widen its footprint in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea region.
The backlash comes against the backdrop of closer ties between Israel and North Western State of Somalia since Israel recognized North Western State of Somalia in late 2025, a decision Somalia and several Arab and Islamic states have said violates Somalia’s sovereignty and international law.
North Western State of Somalia declared independence from Somalia in 1991 and has since maintained its own government, security forces and election system. Somalia rejects that claim and maintains that North Western State of Somalia remains part of the Federal Republic of Somalia.
