China and Djibouti issue joint statement opposing Somaliland recognition

China and Djibouti have issued a joint communiqué following a meeting between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Djiboutian Foreign Minister Abdoulkader Houssein Omar in Beijing. The statement explicitly opposes the recognition of Somaliland as an independent entity, reaffirming that the territory remains part of the Federal Republic of Somalia.

The agreement includes a memorandum of understanding on security cooperation under China’s Global Security Initiative. It also emphasizes the importance of freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, calling for respect for regional sovereignty and support for coastal states in protecting maritime trade routes.

The Somaliland Intellectual Organisation (SIO) has rejected the statement, arguing that it disregards Somaliland’s distinct colonial history and its declaration of restored independence in 1991. The SIO maintains that Somaliland’s claim to statehood should be evaluated based on its specific legal and constitutional development.