Sana’a: Leader of Yemen’s Ansarullah movement, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, has urged Arab and Islamic countries to adopt a firm and united stance in support of Somalia, citing concerns over the Israeli regime’s recognition of Somaliland as a significant threat to regional security.

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, the Ansarullah leader, in a statement broadcast by Yemen’s Al-Masirah TV network, expressed that Israel’s decision to recognize Somaliland is a strategic move to establish a presence in the Horn of Africa. This, he suggested, is intended to facilitate hostile activities against Somalia and other African nations. Al-Houthi further described the decision as both hostile and illegitimate, emphasizing its implications for Yemen, the Red Sea, and neighboring countries along this critical maritime route.

Al-Houthi elaborated that the Israeli regime aims to utilize Somaliland as a base to destabilize the region and infringe upon the sovereignty of regional states. He highlighted that the plan extends beyond Somalia, targeting broader geopolitical shifts in the West Asia region, and called on the Islamic world to confront such initiatives through political and diplomatic means.

He rejected the legal validity of Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, arguing that the regime itself lacks legitimacy and, therefore, has no authority to legitimize other entities. Al-Houthi urged Arab and Islamic governments to back Somalia in international arenas, exert pressure on collaborators within Somaliland, and counter Israeli plans through diplomatic channels.

Additionally, he reaffirmed Ansarullah’s support for the Somali people and cautioned against transforming any part of the country into a base that could jeopardize regional stability and security in the Red Sea. He called on the states bordering the Red Sea to take practical measures to avert further escalation.

This development follows an announcement by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who stated that Israel and Somaliland had signed a joint declaration to establish full diplomatic relations. Netanyahu described the agreement as being ‘in the spirit of the Abraham Accords,’ a series of agreements facilitated by the United States in 2020 to normalize relations between Israel and several Arab states.