Somali Defense Minister: Israel plans to forcibly displace Palestinians to Somaliland

Somali Defense Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi said that Mogadishu has information that Israel plans to forcibly displace Palestinians to what is known as the "Somaliland" region, describing the move as a grave violation of international law and Somalia's sovereignty.

Fiqi called on the Israeli government to withdraw its recognition of what he called the "separatist region," stressing that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has no legal or legitimate right to grant legitimacy to an entity within a sovereign state.

The minister explained, during an interview with the "Al-Masa'iya" program, that the Israeli move represents a direct aggression against the territorial integrity of Somalia, noting that Israel is exploiting separatist leaders, even though nearly half of the areas that were known as "Somaliland" have announced their joining the Federal Republic of Somalia in the past two years.

Fiqi revealed that Israel also seeks to establish a military base in the region due to its strategic location near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the Red Sea, and the Arabian Sea, warning that this aims to destabilize and divide countries.

He affirmed that his country will resort to all diplomatic and legal means to reject what he described as the Israeli violation, pointing out that the African Union realizes the seriousness of this precedent for the stability of the continent.

The minister praised the positions of a number of Arab and regional countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, in addition to the Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation Council, in supporting Somalia's unity. He also appreciated the position of US President Donald Trump's administration in not recognizing the so-called "Somaliland" region.