Cairo: The Arab League strongly condemned the visit made Tuesday morning by the Israeli Foreign Minister to the Somali city of Hargeisa, considering it a failed attempt to push through Israeli recognition of the secession of the northwestern region from the Somali state.
In a statement on Tuesday, Arab League Secretary- General Ahmed Aboul Gheit reiterated the League's total rejection of any official or semi-official dealings with the authorities of the secessionist region outside the framework of the national sovereignty of the Federal Government.
He stated that such dealings constitute a blatant violation of Somalia's unity and sovereignty, which would undermine regional peace and security and exacerbate political tensions in Somalia, the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the Horn of Africa.
Aboul Gheit noted that this move, which has been rejected and condemned internationally and by Arab states, was deemed null and void by the Council of the Arab League at its meeting on December 28th.
He said that it seeks to facilitate plans for the forced displacement of the Palestinian people and to seize Somali ports to establish military bases there.
He added that the Arab League will continue to provide political and technical support to Somali state institutions in the face of attempts to create new conflict zones in the country that undermine its stability and unity, or to violate vital Arab waterways.
