![Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar meets with Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, in Hargeisa, Somaliland on January 6, 2026 [Israeli Foreign Ministry – Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/d2.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/AA-20260106-40177562-40177560-ISRAELI_FOREIGN_MINISTER_ARRIVES_IN_SOMALILAND_AFTER_RECOGNITION.webp?fit=920%2C613&ssl=1)
Egypt warned Tuesday against remaining silent over Israel’s recognition of the breakaway Somaliland region, calling the move “a serious threat” to regional and international peace and security, Anadolu reports.
“Unilateral actions that seek to impose new political realities outside any legal framework must not go unanswered,” Foreign Minister Badr Abelatty told a virtual session of the African Union Peace and Security Council.
He stressed that Israel’s recognition of the so-called Somaliland region constitutes a “flagrant violation” of Somalia’s sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity, and sets “a dangerous precedent.”
The top diplomat reiterated Cairo’s categorical rejection of any attempts to link the Israeli recognition to plans aimed at forcibly displacing Palestinians outside their homeland, describing such schemes as “completely unacceptable.”
On Dec. 26, Israel announced its official recognition of Somaliland as an independent, sovereign state, making Tel Aviv the only country in the world to recognize the breakaway region.
The Israeli move sparked widespread regional rejection, particularly from the Arab countries, which described it as illegal and a threat to international peace and security.
Abdelatty stressed Egypt’s “full support for the unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Somalia, which are non-negotiable, as a fundamental pillar for stability in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea region.”
“Israel’s recognition contributes to fueling conflicts and insecurity in the region,” he said, holding Israel “fully responsible for the consequences of this illegitimate decision.”
He said Egypt had led intensive diplomatic efforts to coordinate a unified international position, culminating in an interregional statement issued by 23 countries and two international organizations in December rejecting the recognition.
US and Israeli media reports emerged in recent months about talks on relocating Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to the breakaway region in exchange for recognition
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