The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, has issued a statement indicating that he rejects any recognition of Somaliland and reaffirms the African Union’s unwavering commitment to the unity and sovereignty of Somalia.

Youssouf noted that he has taken note, with deep concern, of recent developments relating to Somaliland, after Israel became the first country to formally recognise Somalia's breakaway region of Somaliland as an independent nation.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Friday, December 26, that Israel and Somaliland had signed a joint declaration establishing full diplomatic relations, describing it as being "in the spirit of the Abraham Accords”, a set of deals brokered by the United States to establish formal ties between Israel and Arab states.

Youssouf reiterated the AU’s unwavering commitment to the unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Somalia, as well as its full support for the efforts of the Somali authorities to consolidate peace, strengthen State institutions, and advance inclusive governance.

According to reports, Netanyahu said Israel intended to immediately expand cooperation in agriculture, health, and technology.

Somaliland's president, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, called the development "a historic moment" but Somalia's prime minister, Hamza Abdi Barre, said his country categorically and unequivocally rejected what he called a deliberate attack by Israel on its sovereignty.

"In this regard, the Chairperson of the Commission unequivocally reaffirms the longstanding and consistent position of the African Union, grounded in the principles enshrined in the Constitutive Act of the African Union, in particular the respect for the intangibility of borders inherited at independence, as affirmed by the 1964 decision of the Organization of African Unity,” reads part of an AU statement on the development.

The AU stressed that Somaliland remains an integral part of the Federal Republic of Somalia.

"Any attempt to undermine the unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Somalia runs counter to the fundamental principles of the African Union and risks setting a dangerous precedent with far-reaching implications for peace and stability across the continent.