Somalia’s Defence Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi has accused Israel of planning to forcibly displace Palestinians to the breakaway region of Somaliland, denouncing the alleged plan as a “serious violation” of international law.
– Fiqi said Somalia has “confirmed information that Israel has a plan to transfer Palestinians and to send them to [Somaliland]”.
– Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 but has never gained United Nations recognition.
– Israel’s December decision made it the first country to recognise Somaliland as independent.
– Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar told Israel’s Channel 14 last week that the forcible displacement of Palestinians to Somaliland “was not part of our agreement”.
– “I think we have a lot of topics in the field of politics, security, development, and others that we will advance with Somaliland … And I can say this is not part of our agreement,” Saar said.
– He did not provide further details on what had been agreed, and neither Israeli nor Somaliland officials have disclosed specifics since the recognition announcement.
– Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud previously told Al Jazeera that Somaliland had accepted Israel’s three conditions – the resettlement of Palestinians, establishment of a military base on the coast of the Gulf of Aden and joining the Abraham Accords to normalise ties with Israel.
– Fiqi called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to withdraw his diplomatic recognition of the “separatist region”, describing the move, announced late last year, as a “direct attack” on Somalia’s sovereignty.
– Fiqi accused Israel of pursuing a strategy of fragmenting regional states, arguing that its recognition of Somaliland fit a larger pattern.
– “Israel has long had goals and plans to divide countries — maybe for 20 years — and it wants to divide the map of the Middle East and control its countries. This is why they found this separatist group in northwestern Somalia”
– The Somali minister also accused Israel of seeking to establish a military base on the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Gulf of Aden to the Red Sea, saying Israel “wants to create a military base to destabilise the region”.
– Houthi leaders have said they would consider any Israeli presence in Somaliland, just across from the Gulf of Aden, a threat and a possible military target.
– On Saturday, the 57-member OIC held an extraordinary summit in Saudi Arabia on Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, adopting two resolutions: one condemning Israel’s move and another expressing support for Palestine.