Israel recognizes Somaliland as independent state, first globally

JERUSALEM,— Israel announced on Friday that it has officially recognized the Republic of Somaliland as an independent state, a decision that sets a new precedent and challenges Somalia’s long standing position against the region’s separation, according to Israeli officials.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel intends to establish immediate cooperation with Somaliland in key areas including farming, public health, technology, and trade.

According to a government statement, the two sides aim to expand economic and technical ties in the near future.

Netanyahu congratulated Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi and commended what he described as the administration’s leadership. He also invited Abdullahi to visit Israel for further talks.

The Israeli leader said the recognition aligns with the approach of the Abraham Accords, which were signed in 2020 during the administration of United States President Donald Trump.

Those agreements resulted in Israel normalizing relations with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, with additional countries joining later.

According to Israeli officials, Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, and President Abdullahi signed a joint document confirming mutual recognition between Israel and Somaliland.

In his own statement, Abdullahi said Somaliland would become part of the Abraham Accords framework.

He said the decision marked progress toward regional and global cooperation and emphasized Somaliland’s interest in strengthening partnerships and promoting stability across Africa and the Middle East.

Somalia’s federal government immediately condemned the announcement.

According to a statement from the prime minister’s office in Mogadishu, Israel’s action was described as illegal and a violation of Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The statement said the Somali government would pursue diplomatic, political, and legal responses in line with international law to protect the country’s unity and internationally recognized borders.

Reaction also came from Egypt. According to Egypt’s foreign ministry, Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty spoke by phone with officials from Somalia, Turkey, and Djibouti on Friday.

The discussions focused on what they called concerning developments in the Horn of Africa following Israel’s decision.

The ministers agreed in rejecting Israel’s recognition of Somaliland and reaffirmed their support for Somalia as a unified state. They warned that recognizing separatist regions could create risks for regional and international security, according to the Egyptian ministry.

The African Union issued a similar response. According to the chair of the AU Commission, the organization rejected any recognition of Somaliland and reiterated its firm commitment to Somalia’s unity.

The statement warned that such moves could weaken peace and stability across the continent.

Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 after the collapse of the central government and the outbreak of civil war. Since then, the region has maintained its own administration and relative stability but has not been formally recognized by any country until now.

Somalia has repeatedly mobilized international opposition to recognition of Somaliland. Officials in the breakaway region have expressed hope that Israel’s decision will encourage other countries to follow and strengthen Somaliland’s access to international trade and diplomacy.

In March, both Somalia and Somaliland said they had not received any proposals from the United States or Israel regarding the relocation of Arabs from Gaza. Somalia said it fully rejected any such idea.

(With files from Reuters)