Israel’s recognition of Somaliland poses grave threat to global stability: Ambassador Masood Khan
Islamabad: Sardar Masood Khan, former President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, has condemned Israel’s unilateral recognition of Somaliland, calling it a severe violation of international law and a direct assault on Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Sardar Masood Khan, who also served as Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US and Permanent Representative to the UN, warned that this move sets a dangerous precedent by legitimising secessionist territories, which could trigger widespread instability across Africa and the Middle East. He emphasized that such actions undermine the post–Second World War international order built on respect for state sovereignty and non-interference.
He noted that the decision has already provoked strong reactions from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Arab League, and the African Union, reflecting broad international concern over unilateral attempts to redraw internationally recognised borders. These reactions, he said, demonstrate that the world views such actions as destabilising and provocative.
Explaining the strategic motives being attributed to Israel’s decision, Masood Khan said two key possibilities are being discussed: first, securing a military and geopolitical foothold opposite Yemen to control developments in the Red Sea; and second, a more sinister project involving the forced relocation of Palestinians from Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territory to sparsely populated regions of Somaliland. He described these designs as illegal and unacceptable.
On regional dynamics, Khan referred to Ethiopia’s interest in accessing the Port of Berbera and growing logistical activity in Somaliland, suggesting that these trends have raised concerns that larger military and political engineering projects may be underway under the guise of recognition. He added that the decision also reflects Netanyahu’s political desperation to expand the Abraham Accords by adding any entity willing to engage, regardless of its status.
Masood Khan further highlighted that Somalia’s government and people have categorically rejected the recognition, with protests already underway in affected regions. He endorsed the Somali President’s warning that the development poses a threat not only to Somalia but to global peace, citing potential consequences for migration flows, Red Sea security, and regional conflict escalation.
Concluding his remarks, Ambassador Khan urged the international community and multilateral institutions to prevent coercive border redrawing, resist demographic displacement projects targeting Palestinians, and uphold international law without selectivity. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to advocating for justice, Palestinian statehood, and regional security.
