Saudi Gazette report

JEDDAH — Saudi Arabia on Saturday reaffirmed its firm rejection of any attempts to impose parallel entities that undermine Somalia’s unity, territorial integrity, or sovereignty, stressing its support for the country’s legitimate state institutions and its commitment to preserving stability for the Somali people.

Representing Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Al-Khuraiji participated in an extraordinary meeting of foreign ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states in Jeddah to discuss developments in Somalia.

In his address, Al-Khuraiji reiterated the Kingdom’s full support for the sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia, and its categorical rejection of the so-called mutual recognition between the Israeli occupation authorities and the Somaliland region.

He said such a move entrenches unilateral secessionist actions that violate international law, the UN Charter, and the OIC Charter.

He called on the OIC and its member states to adopt a firm collective Islamic stance rejecting any recognition of, or engagement with, separatist entities in Somalia, and to hold Israel fully responsible for any political or security consequences resulting from such actions.

Al-Khuraiji also urged coordinated action in international forums to reaffirm Somalia’s unity and prevent the creation of dangerous precedents that threaten the sovereignty of OIC member states, rejecting any measures or cooperation stemming from the alleged recognition.

He further reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s position on the centrality of the Palestinian cause, stressing the Kingdom’s support for all efforts aimed at achieving a ceasefire in Gaza and enabling the Palestinian people to exercise their right to self-determination and establish an independent state along the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.