Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday responded to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s announcement that Israel has recognized Somaliland, a self-declared breakaway region in northern Somalia, making Israel the first country to acknowledge it.

In a statement, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's full support for the sovereignty of the fraternal Federal Republic of Somalia, as well as its unity and territorial integrity. The Kingdom expresses its rejection of the mutual recognition announcement between the Israeli occupying authorities and the Somaliland region, as it establishes unilateral separatist actions contrary to international law."

The statement continued: "While the Kingdom reaffirms its rejection of any attempts to impose parallel entities that conflict with Somalia's unity, it also confirms its support for the legitimate Somali state institutions and its keenness to maintain the stability of Somalia and its brotherly people."

Somalia is one sovereign, indivisible state

Earlier on Friday, the Somali government expressed its rejection of Israel’s recognition of the so-called “Republic of Somaliland,” also known as the Somaliland region, as an “independent and sovereign” state.

The Somali government said in a statement carried by the state news agency SONNA that it “categorically and unequivocally rejects the deliberate attack on its sovereignty and the illegal step taken by Israel in recognizing a region in northern Somalia.”

It added that “the Somaliland administration is an inseparable part of the territory of the sovereign Federal Republic of Somalia and cannot be separated or disposed of in any manner whatsoever.”

The statement stressed that “Somalia is one sovereign, indivisible state, and no external party has the right to alter its unity or territorial composition. Any declaration, recognition, or agreement seeking to undermine this reality is null and void and has no legal or political effect under international law.”

The Somali government also reaffirmed that "its principled and steadfast support for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to self-determination, and its categorical rejection of occupation, forced displacement, demographic engineering, and settlement expansion in all their forms.” It added that "Somalia will never accept that the Palestinian people be rendered stateless.”

Trump to the Washington Post: I will not recognize Somaliland for now

U.S. President Donald Trump said he does not currently intend to recognize the independence of Somaliland, noting that he would “consider the matter” without committing to any immediate step.

In remarks to The Washington Post, Trump stressed that his position differs from that of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Turkey and Egypt condemn Israel's recognition of Somaliland

Egypt also condemned Israel's recognition of Somaliland, affirming its rejection of "any unilateral actions that might affect Somali sovereignty or undermine the country's stability."

In a statement following phone calls between Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and his Somali, Djiboutian, and Turkish counterparts, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said that recognition was a "dangerous precedent and a threat to international peace and security and to the established principles of international law and the United Nations Charter."

Turkey likewise denounced Israel’s announcement recognizing the separatist “Republic of Somaliland,” describing the move as “a blatant interference in Somalia’s internal affairs.” Ankara, a key ally of Mogadishu, reiterated its support for Somalia’s unity and sovereignty.