In a move that has sent shockwaves through the Horn of Africa and the wider Muslim world, Israel on Friday formally extended official recognition to the breakaway region of Somaliland as an "independent and sovereign state." The announcement, made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office, marks the first time any country has granted Somaliland such recognition since it declared independence from Somalia in 1991.
A Historic Announcement and Swift Backlash
The recognition was cemented with an agreement to establish full diplomatic ties, including the exchange of ambassadors and the opening of embassies. In a video call with Somaliland's leader, President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, Netanyahu stated he was signing the recognition as they spoke, framing it within the spirit of the Abraham Accords—the normalization agreements brokered by former US President Donald Trump.
Netanyahu invited Abdullahi to visit Israel and communicated the latter's "willingness and desire to join the Abraham Accords" to Trump. Abdullahi hailed the decision on social media platform X, calling it a "historic moment" and the start of a strategic partnership, affirming Somaliland's readiness to join the Accords.
The reaction from Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, was one of fury and crisis. The Somali government held an emergency meeting, with sources stating it had reached out to key international partners. Close Somali ally Turkey condemned Israel's "expansionist policy," calling it overt interference in Somalia's affairs. Egypt, after consultations with Turkey, Somalia, and Djibouti, issued a joint condemnation, emphasizing full support for Somalia's unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity and rejecting any unilateral actions.
Strategic Calculations Behind the Move
Analysts point to significant strategic and economic motives driving Israel's unprecedented step. Somaliland occupies a strategic position on the Gulf of Aden, a critical maritime chokepoint leading to the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. A recent paper from Israel's Institute for National Security Studies suggested Israel seeks allies in the Red Sea region, partly for a potential campaign against Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
"Somaliland is an ideal candidate for such cooperation as it could offer Israel potential access to an operational area close to the conflict zone," the institute noted. Israel has previously struck Houthi targets in Yemen in response to attacks launched in solidarity with Gaza. While a fragile truce has halted these attacks, the strategic imperative remains.
For Somaliland, a self-declared republic with its own currency, passport, and army, recognition is a decades-long pursuit. The lack of it has crippled its access to international loans, aid, and investment, leaving the region impoverished. A recent port deal with landlocked Ethiopia already strained relations with Mogadishu, and Israel's recognition further complicates regional dynamics.
Broader Implications and Regional Ripples
This development represents Israel's continued efforts to expand its diplomatic footprint in Africa and the Muslim world, building on the 2020 normalization deals with the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco. However, the wars in Gaza have inflamed public opinion in many Arab nations, making such overtures more delicate.
The move places Somalia in a precarious position, forcing it to rally international support against what it sees as a violation of its sovereignty. It also tests the unity of regional blocs and the stance of major powers. The crisis meeting in Mogadishu underscores the severity with which the Somali government views this challenge to its territorial claim.
As Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar instructed his ministry to immediately institutionalize ties, the world watches to see if other nations will follow Israel's lead or rally behind Somalia. The recognition of Somaliland is more than a bilateral agreement; it is a geopolitical gambit that risks destabilizing a fragile region while offering the isolated Somaliland a powerful, if controversial, patron.
