SEVERAL Muslim and Arab foreign ministries have issued a joint condemnation of the opening of an office in Jerusalem by representatives of Somaliland, calling the move illegal and a breach of international law.
In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), the foreign ministries of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Jordan, Turkey, Pakistan, Indonesia, Djibouti, Somalia, the State of Palestine, Oman, Sudan, Yemen, Lebanon and Mauritania said the so-called “Somaliland Region” had proceeded to open an “alleged embassy” in Jerusalem — a step they described as “illegal and rejected.”
The statement accused the Somaliland office of violating relevant United Nations resolutions and of constituting “a direct assault on the legal and historical status of the occupied city of Jerusalem.” The ministries did not specify whether they would take coordinated diplomatic or legal action in response.
Somaliland, a self-declared republic that broke away from Somalia in 1991 but lacks widespread international recognition, has in the past pursued informal representative offices abroad. Israel and several other countries have faced international criticism for moves that alter the status of Jerusalem, which Palestinians and many members of the international community consider occupied territory.
The joint statement underscores longstanding regional sensitivity over Jerusalem’s status and signals unified opposition from a broad grouping of Muslim-majority states. It further reflects continued diplomatic support for Palestinian claims to East Jerusalem as occupied territory under international law.
A spokesperson for Somaliland or the Israeli authorities did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Journalists will continue to monitor whether the protest prompts formal diplomatic steps, such as expulsions, recalls of envoys, or referrals to international bodies.
