Israel startled the world on Friday by becoming the first UN member to formally recognise Somaliland as an independent state. Cloaked in the language of trade cooperation, the move cuts far deeper than the Horn of Africa. It challenges a principle that has long prevented weak states from being carved up by stronger ones: the sanctity of borders under international law.
Recognition, defenders argue, is a sovereign prerogative. International law does not explicitly prohibit it. That argument is technically correct, albeit strategically hollow. The UN Charter rests not on loopholes but on restraint. When states unilaterally validate breakaway regions without the consent of the parent state, they corrode the very logic that keeps international borders from becoming bargaining chips.
A joint statement by Arab and African states stressed that drawing new borders without consent “threatens international peace and security.” An overarching fear is that if one state can pick off part of another, every restive province anywhere becomes a potential test case.
Somalia’s anger is, thus, not rhetorical. The Horn of Africa is already destabilised by insurgencies, proxy rivalries, and Red Sea militarisation. Injecting a precedent that rewards unilateral secession risks igniting dormant disputes across Africa and beyond.
Western powers sensed the danger. The EU urged dialogue between Mogadishu and Hargeisa, and even US President Donald Trump publicly distanced himself.
Pakistan was swift to line up with Somalia and the OIC. In tightly-worded statements, Islamabad strongly condemned attempts to fracture Somali unity, framing the issue as one of international legality rather than bilateral politics. Of particular concern is its explicit rejection of reports suggesting Somaliland could be used as a destination for displaced Palestinians from Gaza–an idea that, if pursued, would amount to demographic engineering under humanitarian cover. The linkage matters. It reveals that this recognition is part of a broader regional recalibration. Pakistan, alongside Muslim and African partners, warned of “serious repercussions” for Red Sea stability if such moves proceed unchecked.
Behind the headlines lies a broader chessboard. Somaliland–relatively stable and secular compared to its neighbours–has long operated its own currency and government, attracting foreign investment in Berbera port and securing an Ethiopian commercial stake. Israel’s recognition leapfrogs these existing interests, granting it a first-mover advantage at a strategic gateway to the Red Sea. Prime Minister Netanyahu has openly tied the move to his Abraham Accords strategy, all the while countering Iranian sway.
Islamabad’s path forward is diplomatic but firm. The issue needs to be kept alive at multilateral forums, especially the UN. Silence would signal acquiescence. Consistency, by contrast, reinforces Pakistan’s long-held position that sovereignty is indivisible.
This is not about choosing sides in a regional rivalry. It is about defending a rule without which weaker states have no shield at all. *