Media Home
UN Web TV
UN Audiovisual Library
UN PhotoUN / ISRAEL SOMALIA
Download
There is no media available to download.
Share
STORY: UN / ISRAEL SOMALIA
TRT: 06:00
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTION: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / FRENCH / NATS
DATELINE: 29 DECEMBER 2025, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE – NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, exterior, United Nations Headquarters
29 DECEMBER 2025, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, Security Council
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations:
“On 26 December, Prime Minister Netanyahu announced Israel’s official recognition of “Somaliland” as an independent and sovereign state. Subsequently, on the same day, “Somaliland” issued a statement welcoming what it termed a “historic and principled” decision by the State of Israel to officially recognize what it described as its sovereignty and independence.”
4. Wide shot, Security Council
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations:
“In response to these developments, the Federal Government of Somalia issued a statement reaffirming its absolute and non-negotiable commitment to its sovereignty, national unity and territorial integrity as enshrined in the Provisional Constitution of the Federal Republic of Somalia, the Charter of the United Nations and the Constitutive Act of the African Union. The Federal Government of Somalia further stated that it categorically and unequivocally rejected what it characterized as a deliberate attack on its sovereignty. The Somali statement further noted that no external actor has the authority or standing to alter its unity or territorial configuration. Therefore, according to the statement, Somalia considers any declaration, recognition, or arrangement that seeks to undermine this reality to be null and void and without any legal or political effect under international law.”
6. Wide shot, Security Council
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations:
“Israel’s announcement prompted widespread reactions from the region and beyond, including from Egypt, Jordan, Djibouti, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, among others, as well as a joint statement by 20 Middle Eastern and African countries rejecting and condemning Israel’s recognition of “Somaliland.””
8. Wide shot, Security Council
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations:
“In closing, I would like to recall, as has the Secretary-General, that the Security Council has repeatedly affirmed the respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, political independence and unity of Somalia, as most recently reaffirmed in resolution 2809 (2025) of 23 December 2025. I also call on Somalia and “Somaliland” to engage in peaceful and constructive dialogue, in particular recalling the 2023 Djibouti Communique on talks between the Federal Government and “Somaliland.””
10. Wide shot, Security Council
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Abukar Dahir Osman, Premanent Representative to the United Nations, Somalia:
“This action represents a direct violation of the UN charter, the African Union’s fundamental principles and a breach of cornerstone of the international law: respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of these states. This act of aggression is aimed at encouraging fragmentation of the territory of Somalia, which is the northwestern region, is an integral part and is destabilizing the Horn of Africa, entire Horn of Africa and the Red sea region.”
12. Med shot, Israeli ambassador
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Abukar Dahir Osman, Premanent Representative to the United Nations, Somalia:
“Taking note of the statements made by some officials regarding the forced involuntary relocation of Palestinian from their homeland to other countries, A3+ unequivocally reject any steps aimed at advancing this objective, including any attempt by Israel to relocate the Palestinian population from Gaza to the northwestern region of Somalia.”
14. Wide shot, Security Council
15. SOUNDBITE (English) Tammy Bruce, Ambassador, United States:
“Earlier this year, several countries, including members of this Council, made the unilateral decision to recognize a non-existent Palestinian state. And yet no emergency meeting was called to express this Council's outrage. This Council's persistent double standards and misdirection of focus distract from its mission of maintaining international peace and security. On the matter of Somaliland, we have no announcement to make regarding U.S. recognition of Somaliland, and there has been no change in American policy.”
16. Wide shot, Security Council
17. SOUNDBITE (French) Jérôme Bonnafont, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, France:
“Mr. President, I wish to recall that, in keeping with the spirit of the “New York Declaration” adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 12 September, France will continue to oppose any forced displacement of civilian populations and any violation of international law, in particular international humanitarian law.”
18. Wide shot, Security Council
19. SOUNDBITE (English) Jonathan Miller, Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Israel:
“Mr. President, the question raised by Israel's recognition of Somaliland is not whether international law permits acknowledgment of long-established facts. It does. The question is whether this Council is ready to engage with reality as it exists. Somaliland's historical sovereignty, more than three decades of effective self-governance and demonstrated capacity to act as a responsible international partner, meets the legal criteria that guide recognition. Israel has aligned its foreign policy with this reality.”
20. Wide shot, Security Council
21. SOUNDBITE (English) Abukar Dahir Osman, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Somalia:
“He has no idea what Somalia is and where Somalis are, or what Somalia stands for. I think that [his] history is a selective history that he has just generated in his own mind.”
22. Med shot, Israeli ambassador
23. SOUNDBITE (English) Abukar Dahir Osman, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Somalia:
“To come to this place and lecture us on humanity, on genocide and human rights and independence and democracy, and we know what you're doing on a daily basis - it's just an insult.”
24. Wide shot, Security Council
Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari told the Security Council that on 26 December, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Israel’s official recognition of “Somaliland” as an independent and sovereign state, a move rejected by Somalia and criticized by several regional actors. Khiari said that on the same day, “Somaliland” issued a statement welcoming what it described as a “historic and principled” decision by Israel to recognize its sovereignty and independence.
Briefing the Council today (29 Dec) Khiari said Somalia’s federal government responded by reaffirming its “absolute and non-negotiable commitment” to its sovereignty, national unity and territorial integrity, as set out in its provisional constitution, the Charter of the United Nations, and the Constitutive Act of the African Union. According to Khiari, Somalia said it categorically rejected what it described as a deliberate attack on its sovereignty, stressing that no external actor has the authority to alter its unity or territorial configuration and that any declaration or recognition seeking to undermine this reality is null and void under international law.
He added that Israel’s announcement prompted reactions from across the region and beyond, including Egypt, Jordan, Djibouti, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, as well as a joint statement by 20 Middle Eastern and African countries rejecting and condemning Israel’s recognition of “Somaliland.”
In closing, Khiari recalled that the Security Council has repeatedly affirmed respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, political independence and unity of Somalia, most recently in resolution 2809 adopted on 23 December 2025. He also called on Somalia and Somaliland to engage in peaceful and constructive dialogue, recalling the 2023 Djibouti Communiqué on talks between the two sides.
Somalia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Abukar Dahir Osman, told the Council that Israel’s move represented a direct violation of the UN Charter, the African Union’s fundamental principles and international law. He said the decision was aimed at encouraging fragmentation of Somali territory and warned it could destabilize the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea region.
Osman also referred to statements by some officials on the possible forced relocation of Palestinians, saying the A3+ group unequivocally rejected any steps aimed at relocating Palestinians from Gaza to the northwestern region of Somalia.
The United States said there had been no change in its policy. Ambassador Tammy Bruce told the Council that earlier unilateral recognitions of a Palestinian state had not prompted emergency meetings and said the Council’s focus on Somaliland reflected persistent double standards. She added that Washington had no announcement to make regarding U.S. recognition of Somaliland.
France’s Permanent Representative Jérôme Bonnafont said Paris would continue to oppose any forced displacement of civilian populations and any violation of international law, recalling the spirit of the New York Declaration adopted by the General Assembly in September.
Jonathan Miller, Deputy Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations said, “Somaliland's historical sovereignty, more than three decades of effective self-governance and demonstrated capacity to act as a responsible international partner, meets the legal criteria that guide recognition. Israel has aligned its foreign policy with this reality.”
