India, Dec. 28 -- Africa's regional governance bodies on Saturday rejected the recognition of Somalia's breakaway region of Somaliland as an independent nation by Israel a day earlier, the first by any country in more than 30 years. Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 amid a descent into conflict and, despite having its own government and currency, had never been recognised by any nation in the world until Friday.

The African Union Chairperson, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, said any attempt to undermine Somalia's sovereignty risks peace and stability on the continent. He said that the commission "firmly rejects any initiative or action aimed at recognising Somaliland as an independent entity, recalling that Somaliland remains a...