Somalia asks Saudi Arabia to take action against Somaliland president

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s federal government has formally asked Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries to take action against Somaliland President Abdirahman Cirro, drawing a comparison to how Riyadh has dealt with Yemen’s separatist leader Aidarus al-Zubaidi, Somalia’s defense minister said.

Defense Minister Ahmed Macallin Fiqi, speaking in an interview with Al Jazeera, said the Somali government would never accept an Israeli military presence on Somali territory, calling it a violation of the country’s sovereignty and unity.

“If such a presence were to occur, Somalia would pursue all available avenues under international law,” Fiqi said, including taking the matter to the U.N. Security Council and the International Criminal Court.

Fiqi said no country other than Israel has recognized Somaliland, the self-declared republic in northern Somalia that broke away in 1991. He said Mogadishu views any such recognition as an infringement on Somalia’s territorial integrity.

The minister praised the positions of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey and Qatar, saying they fully support Somalia’s federal government and oppose any Israeli military presence in the Horn of Africa.

According to Fiqi, an Israeli military foothold in the region would pose a serious threat to stability in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, potentially disrupting global trade routes and regional security.

He added that Somalia would take “all necessary measures” if Israel attempted to establish a military base or any form of military presence anywhere in Somali territory, stressing that Somalia’s constitution and international law grant the country the right to defend itself against external violations.

The Somali government reiterated that the country’s unity and sovereignty are nonnegotiable and said it remains committed to defending national interests and the Somali people.

GAROWE ONLINE