The African Union (AU) has strongly condemned Israel’s decision to recognize Somaliland as an independent state, reaffirming its long-standing position that the breakaway region remains part of Somalia. Israel’s move, announced on December 26, 2025, marks the first formal recognition of Somaliland by any country.
The AU Chairperson, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, emphasized that recognizing Somaliland would undermine Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, setting a “dangerous precedent” for the continent 
Several countries, including Turkey, Egypt, and the Palestinian Authority, have also denounced Israel’s decision. Somalia’s government views the move as a “deliberate attack” on its sovereignty, while Somaliland’s President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi hailed it as a “historic moment” and a beginning of a “strategic partnership”
The AU’s stance is grounded in the principles of the Constitutive Act and the 1964 Organization of African Unity decision, emphasizing respect for borders inherited at independence. The bloc reaffirms its commitment to Somalia’s unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity
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