The UN Security Council held a meeting at the request of Somalia, where most countries condemned the recognition of Somaliland by the Israeli government. Israel, on the other hand, defended its decision.
Israel’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Brett Jonathan Miller, argued that Somaliland existed before it joined Somalia, and that 35 states, including Israel, recognized it at the time. He said that it withdrew from the union after a genocide was committed, and that it met all the requirements for an independent state.
Somalia’s UN Representative, Abukar Dahir Osman, said that Israel could not speak of genocide, given that it had massacred thousands of Palestinians. He accused the Israeli representative of reading history one-sidedly, and that Somalia had always been one. He added that regions that were once part of Somaliland have now joined Somalia.
“There is no such thing as a genocide in Somalia. There was a civil war, and civil war has its effects,” he said. “Also, we believe that foreigners were financing the civil war.”
The US Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Tammy Bruce, was the only official to defend Israel’s decision, saying that Israel has the right to recognize anyone it sees fit.
“Israel has the right to establish diplomatic relations. Last year, several countries, including members of this council, passed a resolution recognizing the non-existent Palestine, but no urgent meeting was held,” Bruce said.
She accused the Security Council of constant duplicity and misdirection, which had diverted it from its established purpose of maintaining international peace. Meanwhile, she said that there had been no change in US policy towards Somalia.
Most of the international countries present at the meeting, such as Russia, Turkey, Pakistan, France, the United Kingdom, Djibouti, and other governments, supported the unity of Somalia, calling for the preservation of the territorial integrity of Somalia, including Somaliland. While other countries have said that Somalia and Somaliland are talking to each other.
