UNITED NATIONS, December 30. /TASS/. Moscow is deeply concerned about Israel’s decision to recognize Somaliland as it goes against the sovereignty, territorial integrity and unity of the Federal Republic of Somalia, Dina Gilmutdinova, senior counsellor at the Russian mission to the United Nations, said.
"Like the majority of our colleagues on the [UN Security] Council, we are deeply concerned about Israel’s politically motivated decision to recognize the sovereignty of Somaliland. It goes against the sovereignty, territorial integrity and unity of the Federal Republic of Somalia," she pointed out at a UN Security Council meeting. "We understand the justified reaction the move caused from the Somali government, the leadership of the African Union, the countries of the region, and the nations of the Arab-Muslim world. We express concern about the possible consequences, including a potential escalation of tensions in the Horn of Africa and beyond," the Russian diplomat noted.
Gilmutdinova stated that Russia called for "resolving intra-Somalian differences through an inclusive national dialogue free of external interference." "We would also like to emphasize that decisions like the one made by the Israeli cabinet threaten to complicate efforts by Mogadishu and its patterns to fight terrorists from the Al-Shabaab group," she added.
On December 26, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced his country’s recognition of the Republic of Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state. Somaliland, located in the northwestern part of Somalia on the Red Sea coast, unilaterally declared independence in 1991 but has yet to receive international recognition. Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed slammed Israel’s move as the "greatest abuse" of Somalia’s sovereignty, which threatens to create instability in the entire Horn of Africa.