CAIRO, May 20 (Xinhua) -- Ahmed Aboul-Gheit, secretary-general of the League of Arab States, on Wednesday strongly condemned any intended move by the northwestern region of Somalia, the self-declared "Republic of Somaliland," to open an embassy in occupied Jerusalem.

Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit, listens to speakers during a press conference following the ministerial committee of the Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Joint Summit on Gaza, in Amman, Jordan, Sunday, June 1, 2025. (File photo: AP)

In a statement, Aboul-Gheit described such a move as legally null and void and an unacceptable provocation to both the Arab and Islamic world.

"Such rapprochement seeks to solicit illegitimate recognition of Israel from entities and regions lacking any lawful status in pursuit of entrenching their illegal occupation of East Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip," the statement read.

It stressed that this course constitutes a flagrant assault on the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Somalia and an unacceptable infringement on the sovereignty of a member state of the League of Arab States, the African Union, and the United Nations.

Such efforts aimed at expanding influence in the Horn of Africa risk exacerbating tensions and instability in the region, said the statement.

In late 2025, Israel became the first country in the world to formally recognize Somaliland as a sovereign state, prompting immediate condemnation from Somalia and the international community.