Mogadishu (Kaab TV) – Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has released an important statement reminding the international community of the official position previously taken by the African Union regarding the Somaliland issue.
The statement said that anyone who may have forgotten should revisit what the African Union itself decided concerning the recognition of Somaliland.
The ministry referred to the report produced by the African Union’s fact-finding mission that was sent to Somaliland in 2005. That report clearly stated that the union between Somaliland and Somalia in 1960 was never formally legalized, and that it ended in conflict and collapse during the period from 1960 to 1990.
For these reasons, the African Union at the time defined Somaliland’s pursuit of recognition as a historically unique case that cannot be compared to other cases on the continent.
The document cited by Israel further emphasized that the Somaliland case should not be viewed as opening the door to the fragmentation of African borders, but rather should be treated differently from other situations. The African Union therefore proposed that Somaliland’s status be discussed through a special approach based on the history and destiny of the people living in the region, as it is a self-justifying case.
This move by Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to once again draw global attention to the report comes at a time when debates over the recognition of Somaliland are intensifying, along with discussions about the role of the African Union in resolving the issue.