Somalia and Somaliland have denied holding any discussions with the United States or Israel regarding the resettlement of Palestinians from Gaza, with Somalia firmly rejecting any such proposal.
Somalia’s Foreign Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi stated that the government had not received any request and would categorically oppose any initiative that undermines the Palestinian people’s right to live in their homeland. “Any proposal or initiative, from any party, that would undermine the Palestinian people’s right to live peacefully on their ancestral land is completely unacceptable,” Fiqi told Reuters.
Similarly, Somaliland’s Foreign Minister Abdirahman Dahir Adan confirmed that no talks had taken place regarding Palestinian resettlement. Somaliland, which declared independence from Somalia in 1991 but is not internationally recognized, has largely remained peaceful compared to Somalia, which continues to battle an Islamist insurgency.
The Associated Press previously reported that U.S. and Israeli officials had contacted officials in Sudan, Somalia, and Somaliland to discuss potential resettlement options for Palestinians displaced by the ongoing conflict in Gaza. However, officials from Sudan also denied receiving such a proposal and deemed it unacceptable.
Meanwhile, Arab leaders have endorsed a $53 billion Egyptian-led reconstruction plan for Gaza, explicitly rejecting forced displacement of Palestinians. The proposal comes in contrast to the U.S. President Donald Trump’s controversial vision of a “Middle East Riviera,” which included the potential U.S. takeover of Gaza for reconstruction and development.
Palestinian leaders and international organizations, including the United Nations, have widely rejected any plan that could lead to forced displacement or ethnic cleansing, emphasizing that such actions would violate international law.
