Somalia: Somali PM Says Hamas Is Not Terrorist Organisation, Calls It a Liberation Group

Minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni (file photo).

Mogadishu, Somalia — Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre said that the government of Somalia refused to call Hamas a "terrorist organization" and did not heed pressure.

"Hamas is a liberation organization and mujahideen struggling to liberate the Palestinian land from Jews, we will not accept to call it a terror group," added Barre.

"The Muslim world was divided, made enemies of each other, and forced to call Hamas a terrorist organization. We don't say it, and we don't accept it," said the prime minister.

"The blood that is spilling from our brothers and the suffering they are being subjected to is the redemption of the Al-Aqsa Mosque," he said during his speech at the National Theatre.

The Somali Prime Minister said the solution is to find two states - Israel and Palestine," We will not compromise until we see a Palestinian government with Jerusalem as its capital.

Somalia is among many Muslim countries, including Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Yemen that do not recognize Israel as a state.

Hamas is considered a "terrorist group" by the U.S. and the EU. Hamas militants attacked Israeli towns on Oct. 7, killing 1,400 people and sending shock waves across the world.

AllAfrica publishes around 500 reports a day from more than 100 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.