Somaliland’s Jerusalem plan a ‘disgrace’-Somalia President
The President rejected any suggestion that a Somali territory could recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital
Somalia President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has strongly condemned Somaliland’s plan to open an embassy in Jerusalem, calling the move a betrayal of Somalia’s long-held support for the Palestinian cause.
The remarks mark one of Mohamud’s sharpest public attacks since Somaliland, the self-declared republic in northern Somalia, deepened ties with Israel after Israel formally recognised the territory in December.
Somaliland’s envoy to Israel said this month that Hargeisa would open an embassy in Jerusalem, while Israel would establish a mission in Hargeisa.
Speaking after Eid al-Adha prayers on May 27, the President labeled the diplomatic move as a "great misfortune" and a "disgrace," warning that the Federal Government of Somalia will never recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital
President Hassan rejected any suggestion that a Somali territory could recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, saying Somalia would never accept such a position.
“It is a great misfortune for us to say we will raise a flag bearing ‘There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah’ and say Jerusalem belongs to Israel and is Israel’s capital.”
He said many non-Muslim countries had refused to move their embassies to Jerusalem because of the city’s disputed status.“The non-Muslim world was ashamed to say it and move its embassy to Bayt al-Maqdis,” he said, using the Arabic name for Jerusalem.
“Today, for a Somali man to raise a flag there and say we are opening our embassy in the third holiest city in Islam, the first qibla, is a disgrace.”
The President warned that such a decision could bring “the anger of Allah” and said the matter went beyond politics because of Jerusalem’s religious and historical importance to Muslims.
Somalia’s federal government said Jerusalem has a special legal and political status under United Nations resolutions and international agreements related to the Palestinian issue.
Mogadishu has also reaffirmed its support for the Palestinian people and their right to an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
President Hassan’s remarks came days after a coalition of 16 Arab and Muslim-majority countries condemned Somaliland's decision to open a diplomatic mission in Jerusalem, calling it illegal and a violation of international law.
In a joint statement, the ministers said the move represents a “flagrant violation of international law and relevant UN resolutions” and undermines the legal and historical status of the city. They rejected unilateral measures aimed at “imposing an illegal reality” in occupied Jerusalem or granting legitimacy to entities that contravene international law.
The statement reaffirmed that East Jerusalem has been considered occupied Palestinian territory since 1967, stressing that any attempt to alter its legal or historical status is “null and void and carries no legal effect.”
Foreign ministers from 16 Arab and Muslim countries, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Pakistan, have condemned the opening of what they termed a “so‑called Somaliland embassy” in Jerusalem, calling it “illegal and unacceptable.”
In a joint statement, the ministers said the move represents a “flagrant violation of international law and relevant UN resolutions” and undermines the legal and historical status of the city. They rejected unilateral measures aimed at “imposing an illegal reality” in occupied Jerusalem or granting legitimacy to entities that contravene international law.
The statement reaffirmed that East Jerusalem has been considered occupied Palestinian territory since 1967, stressing that any attempt to alter its legal or historical status is “null and void and carries no legal effect.”
The ministers also underscored their support for the unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Somalia, rejecting unilateral actions that threaten Somali national cohesion.
Signatories to the statement included Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Türkiye, Pakistan, Indonesia, Djibouti, Somalia, Palestine, Oman, Sudan, Yemen, Lebanon, and Mauritania.
The Muslim World League (MWL) also strongly condemned the so-called "Somaliland" region's opening of a what it described as a "purported " embassy in the occupied city of Jerusalem.
Jerusalem remains one of the most sensitive issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Israel considers the whole city its capital, while Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state. Most countries still keep their embassies in the Tel Aviv area, reflecting the city’s unresolved status under international diplomacy.