Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said his country does not want Israel to establish a presence in Somaliland, warning Tel Aviv’s recognition of the breakaway region risks bringing its conflicts to the region, Anadolu reports.
“We have never attacked Israel. We never have created problem to Israel. We don’t want Israel to come to us and bring their problem to us,” Mohamud told Turkish national broadcaster TRT World in an exclusive interview.
He described the move as a “very sad situation,” calling for respecting the international law.
Mohamud said Israel’s recent actions are not “compatible or convenient” with international law, pointing to Gaza and long history of conflict in the Middle East.
“It’s very sad that now that has been transferred to Somalia,” he lamented.
He said Somalia’s northern regions have long faced secessionist and separatist challenges, but the government has always sought to resolve differences peacefully.
“The Somali government has never tried to force or to fight, or even to use the diplomatic muscle against these people,” he added.
Mohamud said that Somalia retains the backing of the international community despite Israel’s recognition of Somaliland.
The Somali leader said the issue is critical given Israel’s recent actions in the Middle East, not only on Palestine but also in Syria and Lebanon, raising concerns about its involvement in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Horn of Africa, which he called a “very volatile region,” with Somalia already fighting ISIS (Daesh) and al-Shabaab.
He said an Israeli presence could trigger a conflict relapse in parts of Somalia and across neighboring countries around the Gulf of Aden and Arabian Gulf, noting that Yemen’s Houthis and Iran also have hostile relations with Israel.
“If Israel makes a proxy territory to attack the interests of other people, then those people will also attack back in Somaliland and Somalia, which is not going to be very good experience,” Mohamud warned.
Source:MEM
