Thursday October 22, 2026
Mogadishu (HOL) — Somali federal government Tuesday condemned a geopolitical map displayed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a security briefing, accusing Israel of portraying the country as fragmented and undermining its internationally recognized borders.
The map, shown during Netanyahu’s Oct. 18 presentation on regional security threats and alliances, depicted Somaliland and Puntland separately from the rest of Somalia and placed them in a category of territories considered friendly to Israel and the United Arab Emirates.
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“The Federal Government of Somalia strongly condemns and rejects the misleading map presented during the recent press briefing by the Prime Minister of the State of Israel, which depicts the Federal Republic of Somalia as fragmented and violates our internationally recognized borders,” Somalia’s Information Ministry said in a statement.
The government reaffirmed that both Somaliland and Puntland are part of Somalia and rejected any foreign representation suggesting otherwise.
“Somali territories, including Somaliland and Puntland, are integral and inseparable parts of the unified Somali nation,” the ministry said.
Mogadishu described any effort by foreign governments or officials to redraw or misrepresent Somalia’s political map as a violation of international law and diplomatic norms, and called on international organizations and partner countries to respect its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The map was not created by the Israeli government. It matches a graphic published in May by Germany’s Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung examining competing geopolitical alignments in the Middle East and Horn of Africa. Netanyahu displayed the graphic while outlining what he described as emerging regional security blocs.
Under the map’s color coding, Somaliland and Puntland were listed among territories considered friendly to Israel and the UAE. The rest of Somalia and the separately marked North East State were placed in another grouping associated with Türkiye, Egypt, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. The classifications represent the mapmakers’ assessment of regional alignments rather than formal alliance memberships.
Somalia’s protest comes amid already strained relations with Israel over Somaliland.
Israel formally recognized Somaliland in December 2025, a decision Somalia rejected as an infringement on its sovereignty. Mogadishu maintains that Somaliland, which declared independence in 1991, remains part of Somalia despite operating its own government, security forces and institutions for more than three decades.
Puntland, by contrast, is a federal member state of Somalia and has not declared independence. The map’s depiction of Puntland in a separate geopolitical category therefore drew particular attention in Mogadishu.
Somalia has repeatedly sought backing from the United Nations, African Union, Arab League and Organization of Islamic Cooperation for its territorial integrity following Israel’s recognition of Somaliland.
The federal government said it remained committed to “safeguarding the sovereignty of its nation” and protecting Somalia’s unity.
The dispute adds another diplomatic flashpoint to growing strategic competition around the Horn of Africa and Red Sea, where Türkiye, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and other regional powers have expanded their political, economic and security engagement in recent years.