DM Monitoring
ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Sunday, expressing Pakistan’s unwavering support for the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia, said the illegal and unlawful recognition by Israel of the Somaliland region, was ‘a direct assault on Somalia’s internationally recognized borders, which constitutes a flagrant violation of international law.’
In a statement at the Extraordinary Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) held in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the deputy prime minister/foreign minister strongly condemned the Israel’s announcement and the subsequent unwarranted and highly provocative visit of its foreign minister to Somaliland.
“Pakistan also voiced its firm support for Somalia and condemned Israel’s actions during the UN Security Council’s briefing on the issue. The principle of state sovereignty and territorial integrity constitutes a peremptory norm of international law from which no deviation or derogation is permitted,” he stressed.
The DPM/FM maintained that the internationally recognized borders of Somalia were sacrosanct and inviolable, and the Somaliland region remained an integral, inseparable and inalienable part of Somalia.
“No external actor has either the legal standing or the moral authority to alter that fundamental reality. Any act, statement or recognition thereof by a state or an external entity regarding any part of the Federal Republic of Somalia should therefore be considered null and void, producing no political or legal effects,” the Foreign Office Spokesperson, in a press release, quoted the DPM/FM as saying.
Dar said that they believed that such recognition of an integral part of a sovereign State was not a diplomatic act, but an act of political aggression that set a perilous precedent, threatening peace and security in the Horn of Africa, the Red Sea region, and beyond.
Pakistan joined the group of OIC countries in unequivocally rejecting the unlawful Israeli move through the Joint statement released in the immediate aftermath of the supposed Israeli recognition of ‘Somaliland’, he added.
He said the Joint statement termed the recognition of ‘parts of states’ a violation of the cardinal principles of international law and the UN Charter and noted the Israeli action’s potential serious repercussions for the Horn of Africa region, the Red Sea region and for international security as a whole.
The OIC and the wider international community’s firm rejection of this unlawful overture by Israel was, therefore, vital so that the impudent Israeli act did not set a precedent for other countries, he added.
He further noted that the concerning developments in the Horn of Africa region were particularly alarming at a time when Somalia was demonstrating encouraging and tangible progress on its political and institutional trajectory.
The Federal Republic of Somalia has made notable strides in national reconciliation, constitutional reform and the revitalization of state institutions, he said, adding positive trends in the financial sector, particularly the efforts related to economic legislation and the move towards an inclusive one-person-one-vote election, represent important steps towards consolidating Somalian democracy and stability.
Dar said these gains reflected a Somali-owned and Somali-led path towards political reconciliation and cooperation.
“This positive momentum must be protected and reinforced, not sabotaged and undermined by actions that risk fragmenting the country and reversing hard-earned progress across the entire milieu of national indicators. Pakistan also recognizes the sacrifices and resilience of the Somali people and its security forces in thwarting the consistent threat posed by Al-Shabab and its affiliates,” he further added.
The deputy prime minister/foreign minister said Israel’s brazen recklessness undermined regional and international efforts aimed at combating terrorism in a region beset with this challenge.
It also opened the door to the creation of fragile environments susceptible to infiltration and exploitation by extremist groups, thereby negatively impacting regional and global security.
In this context, he said, the continued support for Somalia’s security and stabilization efforts remained indispensable.
At this pivotal juncture, when Somalia was focused on defeating extremism, any action that deflected attention, weakens cohesion or fuels division was profoundly irresponsible, he added.
DPM/FM Dar reiterated “Pakistan fully aligns itself with the OIC’s call for all States and organizations to refrain from any form of formal, semi-formal, or informal engagement with the authorities of Somaliland, and to ensure that any engagement strictly respects the sovereignty and unity of the Federal Republic of Somalia.”
He further stressed that Pakistan categorically rejected any proposal or plan aimed at the forced displacement of Palestinians and linkages of Somaliland region of Federal Republic of Somalia with any such illegal action.
Any action that advocated or implied the displacement or relocation of Palestinians not only violated international law but also undermined the prospect of a just and lasting peace in the region, he added.
“We reaffirm our steadfast support for the Palestinian people in their legitimate struggle for self-determination. The only path to lasting peace and stability lies in the realization of an independent, contiguous and sovereign state of Palestine based on pre-1967 borders and with Al-Quds Al Sharif as its capital,” the DPM/FM further emphasised.
As a frontline supporter of the UNSCR 2803 and the ‘Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict’, he said Pakistan reiterated the intention to contribute to its successful implementation thereof, with a view to ensuring the sustainability of the ceasefire, bringing an end to the war in Gaza, to secure a dignified life for the Palestinian people who had endured prolonged humanitarian suffering, and leading to a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood.
Dar said as a non-permanent member of the UNSC, Pakistan would continue to work with the OIC and Arab partners to mobilize global support for the Palestinian right to self-determination, justice and peace.
“The unresolved Jammu and Kashmir dispute remains the primary source of conflict in South Asia and a nuclear flash point. There is an urgent need for renewed and concerted efforts under the UN auspices to secure a just, lasting, and peaceful resolution of the dispute, in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions, and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people,” he added.
The DPM/FM said Pakistan appreciated the strong, unwavering and consistent support that the OIC had always afforded to the Kashmiri brothers and sisters. Nevertheless, he said they urged the OIC to step up its efforts to support a just resolution of the Jammu & Kashmir dispute.
“Pakistan calls upon the OIC and the broader international community to speak with one voice and firmly reject all actions that undermine Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he added.
