- Extraordinary CFMs session tomorrow will deliberate on implications of Israel’s recognition of Somaliland
- Pakistan to present stance on ‘Somaliland’ issue as OIC, 20 states reject move as breach of international law
- FM Dar schedules to hold bilateral engagements with his counterparts from OIC member states on key regional and international issues
ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar set to reach Saudi Arabia to attend an extraordinary meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers (CFMs), scheduled to be held on Saturday (tomorrow).
The emergency session will deliberate on the implications of Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, the Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement issued on Friday.
🔊PR No.1️⃣1️⃣/2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣6️⃣
Curtain Raiser: Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister to Attend Extraordinary Session of OIC Council of Foreign Ministers in Jeddah 9-11 January, 2026 https://t.co/RFQcqOHx9H
🔗⬇️ pic.twitter.com/bx2JLLj3PS— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) January 9, 2026
“The meeting will address the implications of Israel’s recognition of the so-called Somaliland region of the Federal Republic of Somalia,” the FO statement said, adding that the deputy prime minister will present Pakistan’s position on the issue.
On the sidelines of the meeting, Ishaq Dar is also scheduled to hold bilateral engagements with his counterparts from OIC member states to discuss enhanced cooperation on key regional and international issues, the FO added.
Somaliland occupies a strategic location along the Gulf of Aden and maintains its own currency, passport, and armed forces. However, it has long struggled to secure international recognition, amid concerns that such recognition could provoke Somalia and embolden separatist movements elsewhere in Africa.
Israel recently became the first country to formally recognise Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state. Following the move, Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi announced that the region would join the Abraham Accords.
Earlier this week, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar paid a high-profile visit to Somaliland, a move strongly condemned by Somalia as an “unauthorised incursion,” after Israel’s recognition of the breakaway region in the Horn of Africa.
Pakistan, along with a broad group of Muslim countries, issued a joint statement on Thursday condemning the Israeli foreign minister’s visit to Somaliland.
The statement, released by the FO, was issued on behalf of the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Gambia, Indonesia, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Maldives, Nigeria, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Türkiye and Yemen, as well as the OIC.
Last month, Pakistan joined 20 other countries and the OIC in rejecting Israel’s recognition of the self-declared Republic of Somaliland, stating in a joint declaration that the move reflected Israel’s “full and blatant disregard for international law.”
The statement underscored the countries’ “unequivocal rejection” of Israel’s recognition of the ‘Somaliland’ region of Somalia, warning that such an unprecedented step carries serious repercussions for peace and security in the Horn of Africa, the Red Sea, and international peace and security at large.
