Pakistan, 13 nations reject Somaliland mission in Jerusalem

Extend full support for unity, sovereignty of Federal Republic of Somalia

ISLAMABAD:

The foreign ministers of 14 countries, including Pakistan, issued a joint statement on Sunday condemning the "illegal and unacceptable" opening of a purported embassy by the "so-called Somaliland region" in occupied Jerusalem.

The statement, shared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on X, was signed by the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkiye, Indonesia, Djibouti, the Federal Republic of Somalia, Palestine, Oman, Sudan, and Yemen.

The ministers said the move "constitutes a flagrant violation of international law and relevant international resolutions, and represents a direct infringement on the legal and historical status of occupied Jerusalem."

In the statement, they reaffirmed their "categorical rejection of any unilateral measures aimed at entrenching an illegal reality in occupied Jerusalem or conferring legitimacy on any entities or arrangements that contravene international law and relevant United Nations resolutions."

They further reiterated that "East Jerusalem has been occupied Palestinian territory since 1967, and that any measures intended to alter its legal and historical status are null and void and without legal effect."

The statement also addressed Somalia's territorial integrity, with the ministers emphasising their "full support for the unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia," and their "unequivocal rejection of any unilateral measures that undermine the unity of Somali territory or infringe upon its sovereignty."

Over the years, Somalia has rallied international actors against any country recognising Somaliland.