Somalia’s Islamic Scholars Condemn Israel’s Recognition of Somaliland

By Mohamed Abdi - Reporter

Somalia, 29 December 2025 The Supreme Council of Scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama‘a in Somalia has strongly condemned Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, warning that the move carries grave consequences for country's unity and for security and stability in the region.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the Council said the recognition constitutes a clear violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia, stressing that preserving national unity and protecting Somali land are both religious and national obligations.

The Council said remarks by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu linking Somaliland’s leadership to the Abraham Accords reveal what it described as a deliberate agenda by the “Zionist country" to undermine the Somali people, their faith, and their national cohesion. The scholars emphasized that Somalia’s territorial unity is inviolable under Islamic principles as well as international law.

Declaring solidarity with the Muslim population in the northern regions, the Council called on the people of Somaliland to reject and resist any memoranda of understanding or political arrangements concluded with Israel. It warned that moving forward with such agreements would lead to serious security turmoil and destabilization with dangerous and unpredictable consequences.

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The statement urged the Somaliland administration, particularly President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi ‘Irro’ to sever all relations with Israel, describing such ties as harmful to Islam and to the unity of the Muslim community. It also called on the Federal Government of Somalia to assume its primary responsibility by treating the issue as a top national priority at all political, diplomatic, and security levels.

The Council further warned Somali politicians, both in government and opposition, against inflammatory rhetoric that could fracture national unity, noting that the majority of Somaliland’s population rejects the recognition.

The statement also cautioned against any attempts to forcibly displace the Palestinian people to Somali territory or to turn Somalia into a base for Israeli military operations against other countries, stressing that supporting or cooperating with an “occupying regime” is religiously forbidden.

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