The government of Somaliland on Tuesday welcomed remarks by Israel and the United States at the United Nations Security Council acknowledging genocide committed against its people in 1988, while condemning what it described as genocide denial by Somalia's representative.

In a statement issued after the Security Council meeting on Dec. 29, Somaliland's foreign ministry said it appreciated comments by Israel's permanent representative to the United Nations recognising mass killings carried out by Somalia's former military government.

The government also praised remarks by the deputy representative of the United States to the United Nations, saying they highlighted Somaliland's role and standing within the international community and reflected respect for historical truth.

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Somaliland's government strongly criticised Somalia's UN envoy for rejecting descriptions of the 1988 campaign as genocide, mass killings and attempted ethnic cleansing.
"These crimes are well documented and widely recognised as crimes against humanity," the statement said.

Since 1991, when Somaliland reasserted its sovereignty within the borders it inherited at independence, it has functioned as a peaceful, self-governing state with its own elected government, security forces, and democratic institutions. For more than three decades, Somaliland has maintained stability and regular elections, demonstrating the attributes of statehood despite the absence of formal international recognition by most of the global community.

In its statement, the government said Somaliland's claim to statehood is based on historical legality, effective governance, defined territory and the freely expressed will of its people, noting that it was internationally recognised as an independent state in 1960 before voluntarily uniting with Somalia.

Somaliland said it remains committed to peace, democratic governance and regional cooperation.