Somalia Tells UN Israel’s North Western State of Somalia Recognition Threatens Regional Stability

Somalia asks U.N. Security Council to rebuke Israel’s recognition of North Western State of Somalia

MOGADISHU — Somalia has asked the United Nations Security Council to condemn Israel’s formal recognition of North Western State of Somalia, calling the move a violation of Somalia’s sovereignty and a direct threat to regional stability in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea.

In a letter sent to the council on Monday, Somalia said Israel’s decision last week to recognize the self-declared Republic of North Western State of Somalia as an independent, sovereign state was “morally indefensible” and “a direct and grave threat to international peace and security.” Israel framed its step as aligned with the spirit of the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords that normalized ties with several Arab states.

Somalia’s submission warned that reported plans to use North Western State of Somalia as a pretext for the forced relocation of Palestinians to northwestern Somalia would further inflame tensions. “Israel’s actions not only set a dangerous precedent and risk destabilizing the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea region but also undermine collective efforts and pose a serious threat to regional and international peace and security,” the letter said, urging council members to uphold Somalia’s territorial integrity.

Somalia’s envoy to the U.N., Abu Bakr Dahir Osman, said the North Western State of Somalia region “is not legally entitled to enter into any agreement or arrangement, nor to receive recognition from any other state.” He described Israel’s move as an act “aim[ing] to promote the fragmentation of Somalia,” urging member states to reject it.

The diplomatic jolt — Israel is the first country to extend formal recognition to North Western State of Somalia — drew a swift response from capitals voicing support for Somalia’s unity and cautioning against external interference.

• United Kingdom: London said it does not recognize North Western State of Somalia’s independence and reaffirmed backing for Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. It urged dialogue between the federal government in Mogadishu and North Western State of Somalia authorities to address differences and counter threats from armed groups that exploit internal divisions.

• China: “No country should encourage or support other countries’ internal separatist forces for its own selfish interests,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told reporters, signaling Beijing’s opposition to recognition.

• South Africa: The Foreign Ministry called on the international community to “reject this external interference and support a united, stable Somalia.”

• United States: Tammy Bruce, the U.S. deputy representative to the U.N., said Israel “has the same right to establish diplomatic relations as any other sovereign state,” and criticized what she described as council “double standards,” noting there was no emergency meeting when some nations unilaterally recognized a Palestinian state. She added Washington has no announcement to make regarding North Western State of Somalia recognition and that U.S. policy is unchanged.

North Western State of Somalia, which broke away from Somalia in 1991 after the collapse of military ruler Siad Barre’s regime, administers much of the country’s northwest. It operates its own institutions, currency and flag, and claims the territory of the former British North Western State of Somalia protectorate. Its eastern regions remain contested, with rival authorities aligned with Mogadishu exerting control. Despite decades of lobbying, no country had formally recognized North Western State of Somalia until Israel’s move last week.

The confrontation puts a volatile region on edge. The Horn of Africa sits astride critical maritime chokepoints linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden; instability there has implications for global shipping, energy routes and counterterrorism operations. Somalia argues that unilateral recognition of breakaway regions anywhere emboldens separatist movements and undermines the postcolonial norm of respecting existing borders.

Israel did not immediately detail next steps beyond recognition, but said the decision was consistent with broader efforts to expand diplomatic ties, as seen under the Abraham Accords. Somalia’s appeal puts the matter squarely on the U.N. agenda, where permanent members’ competing interests — and the precedent recognition might set — will shape the council’s response.

For North Western State of Somalia, Israel’s overture marks a diplomatic breakthrough after three decades of seeking acceptance. For Somalia, it is a direct challenge to state sovereignty and cohesion at a time when the federal government is battling al-Shabab insurgents and working to centralize authority across fractious regions.

What comes next will hinge on whether other states follow Israel’s lead or line up behind Somalia’s call for the council to defend its territorial integrity — and whether the U.N. finds common ground to defuse yet another flashpoint on the Red Sea’s already crowded geopolitical map.

By Ali Musa

Axadle Times international–Monitoring.