Professor of International Law to Zoom Africa News: The opening of the Somaliland embassy in Jerusalem is a double violation of legitimacy
The statement reveals Israel's pattern of disregard for international law.
Written by: Mohammed Omran
Dr. Mohamed Mahmoud Mehran, Professor of Public International Law and member of the American, European, and Egyptian Societies of International Law, praised the statement issued by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday, May 21, 2026, which strongly condemns the illegal step of opening what is called Somaliland region An alleged embassy in occupied Jerusalem, stressing that the Egyptian position reflects a firm commitment to international legitimacy and a steadfast defense of the Palestinian cause and the sovereignty of African countries in the face of a continuous series of grave Israeli violations of international law.
Professor of International Law to Zoom Africa News: The opening of the Somaliland embassy in Jerusalem is a double violation of legitimacy
In exclusive statements to Zoom Africa News, Dr. Mehran pointed out that the Egyptian statement was correct in describing the move as a flagrant violation of international law and relevant international legitimacy resolutions, noting that Security Council Resolution 478 of 1980 declared the Israeli law that annexed East Jerusalem null and void and called on countries that had established diplomatic missions in Jerusalem to withdraw them, explaining that opening an embassy for a separatist region not internationally recognized in an occupied city constitutes a double violation that combines breaching the principle of non-recognition of the acquisition of territory by force and ignoring the sovereignty of a unified Somalia.
He explained that Israel’s recognition of the so-called Somaliland in December 2025 violates Article 1 of the UN Charter, which affirms the principle of self-determination, and Article 2, Paragraph 4, which prohibits the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state. He stressed that the Federal Republic of Somalia is a sovereign state recognized internationally, a member of the United Nations, the African Union, the Arab League, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation since 1960, and that its territorial integrity must not be compromised.
The professor of international law pointed out that the Egyptian statement linked the opening of the alleged embassy in Jerusalem with Israel’s detention of the Freedom Flotilla and the arrest of 430 international activists in international waters, noting that this link reveals a recurring Israeli pattern of disregard for international law and impunity, explaining that the detention of the humanitarian flotilla carrying vital aid to besieged Gaza in international waters off Cyprus constitutes maritime piracy prohibited under Article 101 of the Law of the Sea Convention.
He pointed out that Article 23 of the Fourth Geneva Convention obliges the parties to the conflict to allow the free passage of humanitarian supplies to the civilian population, stressing that Israel’s refusal to allow the arrival of 54 ships carrying food, water and medicine to the people of Gaza who have been suffering from systematic famine since October 2023 constitutes the crime of using starvation as a weapon of war stipulated in Article 8, Paragraph 2, Clause 25 of the Rome Statute.
Mehran stressed that the offensive video published by the extremist Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, showing degrading treatment of detainees, led to France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium and Canada summoning Israeli ambassadors to request an official explanation and Spain demanding that urgent European sanctions be imposed on Ben-Gvir, explaining that this reflects escalating international anger over the series of ongoing Israeli violations.
He noted that the Egyptian statement affirmed Egypt’s full support for the unity and sovereignty of the Republic of Somalia and its rejection of any unilateral measures that affect the unity of Somali territory or diminish its sovereignty, pointing out that this position is consistent with the African Union’s decision, which affirmed respect for the borders inherited from colonialism and rejected any change to them by force, explaining that the Israeli recognition of the breakaway region aims to destabilize the Horn of Africa and create a strategic foothold for Israel in a vital region.
Dr. Mehran stressed that the firm Egyptian position expressed in the official statement represents a model of commitment to international law and the defense of the rights of vulnerable peoples, warning that the continued Israeli impunity despite repeated violations of the Geneva Convention, the Law of the Sea, the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and Security Council resolutions constitutes a serious threat to the entire international legal system, stressing that international legitimacy is facing a real test in its ability to deter Israeli violations and hold those responsible for them accountable before the International Criminal Court, and to activate the principle of universal jurisdiction.
