MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has said Israel’s recognition of Somaliland was not a diplomatic victory for the self-declared republic but a “trap” that could ultimately draw Somalia into a conflict that is neither its own nor in its national interest.
Wararka Soomaaliya
Speaking in an interview with Dawan TV, Mohamud said Israel turned to Somaliland after failing to establish relations with Somalia’s federal government, arguing that the move was driven by Israeli security interests rather than support for Somaliland’s decades-long campaign for international recognition.
“Somaliland did not secure recognition and will not secure recognition; what it received was not recognition at all, but a trap laid by Israel,” Mohamud said.
The Somali president said Israel had previously approached Mogadishu while seeking ways to address growing security concerns linked to regional conflicts.
Faahfaahinta
According to Mohamud, Somalia declined to establish diplomatic relations, despite assuring Israeli officials that it did not regard Israel as an enemy.
“Israel found itself facing mounting security risks amid regional conflicts and sought ways to mitigate them,” he said. “It viewed a part of Somalia as potentially relevant to addressing some of those concerns and subsequently approached the Somali government.”
“We told them that we harboured no animosity toward them, but that we had no relations with them and that the time was not right to establish such relations. We said, ‘Let us wait until that time comes,’ and the discussions ended there.”
Saamaynta
Mohamud said Somalia’s position on Israel was shaped by a combination of religious, ideological and humanitarian considerations.
“Our opposition to Israel is rooted in several ideological considerations. Some are based on religious convictions and fundamental principles of faith, while others arise from humanitarian concerns and issues related to human rights,” he said.
The president claimed that Israel subsequently concluded that Somaliland’s leadership would be more willing to provide the cooperation it was seeking and therefore moved toward recognizing the territory.
Wararka.so waxay kuu soo tebineysaa wararka ugu dambeeyey ee Soomaaliya iyo caalamka. Si aad ula socoto wararkii ugu dambeeyey, booqo boggayaga.
