• Muslim countries’ joint statement back Somalia’s sovereignty.
• Express grave concern over recognition of parts of states.
• Statement also dismisses attempts to forcibly expel Palestinians.
  

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and other countries, in a joint statement issued on Sunday, slammed Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, terming it a threat to international peace and security.

The joint statement, backed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, Iran, Egypt, Qatar and others, highlights the serious repercussions of such an unprecedented measure on peace and security in the Horn of Africa, the Red Sea, and its serious effects on international peace and security as a whole, which also reflects Israel’s full and blatant disregard to international law.

The joint statement comes against the backdrop of Tel Aviv’s becoming the first country to formally recognise the self-declared Republic of Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would seek immediate cooperation with Somaliland in agriculture, health, technology and the economy.

In a statement, he congratulated Somaliland’s president, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, praised his leadership and invited him to visit Israel.

Netanyahu said the declaration was “in the spirit of the Abraham Accords, signed at the initiative of President Trump”.

Meanwhile, Abdullahi said in a statement that Somaliland would join the Abraham Accords, calling it a step toward regional and global peace.

However, the Muslim countries’ joint statement today terms Israel’s recognition “a grave violation of the principles of international law and the United Nations Charter, which explicitly stipulates the imperative of protecting the sovereignty of states and their territorial integrity, and reflects Israel’s expansionist”.

Backing Somalia’s sovereignty, the joint statement unequivocally rejects “any measures that undermine the unity of Somalia, its territorial integrity or its sovereignty over its entire territory”.

“The recognition of parts of states constitutes a serious precedent and threatens international peace and security, and violates the cardinal principles of international law and the UN Charter,” it read.

Furthermore, the statement dismisses “any potential link between such measure and any attempts to forcibly expel the Palestinian people out of their land,” which it said is unequivocally rejected in any form as a matter of principle.

 A day earlier, the Foreign Office (FO) had also denounced Israel’s announcement recognising the independence of the so-called Somaliland region of the Federal Republic of Somalia.

DUBAI: As the countdown to 2026 begins, Dubai is preparing to light up the sky with an awe-inspiring spectacle of fireworks.

In a celebration set to captivate the world, Dubai will host 48 dazzling fireworks displays across 40 iconic locations.

From the towering Burj Khalifa to the stunning Palm Jumeirah, Dubai is set to ring in the New Year with a glittering display that promises to leave spectators breathless.

The Dubai authorities have announced the list of key locations where the celebrations will take place.

The main venues include iconic landmarks such as:

• Burj Khalifa
• Dubai Frame
• The World Islands
• Dubai Festival City
• Burj Al Arab
• Palm Jumeirah
• Dubai Creek Harbour
• Global Village
• Al Seef
• Hatta
• Bluewaters

In addition, fireworks displays are also set to take place in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Ras Al Khaimah, with over ten locations across these emirates also joining the celebrations.

Earlier, it was reported that the Dubai Mall was also set to dazzle with a spectacular light display to complement the grand fireworks at the Burj Khalifa.

Mohammed Al Abbar, the Emirati businessman whose construction company built the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, and the iconic Dubai Mall, is personally supervising the preparations for this year’s New Year’s Eve celebration.

• Tajik forces killed three alleged militants crossing from Afghanistan.
• Taliban say they are jointly investigating with Tajikistan.
• Kabul warns of attempts to damage bilateral ties.

Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities said on Saturday they were working with neighbouring Tajikistan to investigate a border clash earlier this week that killed five people, including two Tajik guards.

Tajikistan announced on Thursday that three members of a “terrorist” group had crossed into the Central Asian country “illegally” at Khatlon province, which borders Afghanistan.

Tajik security forces killed the trio, but two border guards also died in the clash, the Tajik national security committee said.

Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said on Saturday that “we have started serious investigations into the recent ‘incidents’ on Tajik soil.

“I spoke to the foreign minister of Tajikistan, and we are working together to prevent such incidents,” he told an event in Kabul.

“We are worried that some malicious circles want to destroy the relations between the two neighbouring countries,” the minister added, without elaborating.

Tajikistan shares a mountainous border of about 1,350 kilometres (839 miles) with Afghanistan and has had tense relations with Kabul’s Taliban authorities, who returned to power in 2021.

Unlike other Central Asian leaders, Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon, who has been in power since 1992, has criticised the Taliban and urged them to respect the rights of ethnic Tajiks in Afghanistan.

At least five Chinese nationals were killed, and several were wounded in two separate attacks along the border with Afghanistan in late November and early December, according to Tajik authorities.

According to a UN report in December, a militant group, Jamaat Ansarullah, “has fighters spread across different regions of Afghanistan” with a primary goal “to destabilise the situation in Tajikistan.”

Dushanbe is also concerned about the presence in Afghanistan of members of Daesh in Khorasan.