“Just as you expect nations to recognise your sovereignty, your identity, your own rights, your own national rights. The same thing we have vis-à-vis our capital. It’s only been the capital of the Jewish people since King David. That’s only 3,000 years ago. So, for some countries, it’s a belated recognition. For you, it was instant.”

Reuters

Reuters

More about Somalia from the BBC:

Getty Images/BBC

Israel’s foreign minister has arrived in the breakaway state of Somaliland, marking the first official visit since Israel controversially recognised Somaliland as an independent country.

Gideon Saar landed in capital city Hargeisa on Tuesday and met with Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, government sources there told the BBC.

Last month Israel became the first country in the world to recognise Somaliland, which declared independence from Somalia more than 30 years ago.

Somaliland’s president called Israel’s move “a historic moment”, but Somalia furiously rejected the development as an attack on its sovereignty.

The Israeli foreign ministry has not publicly commented on Saar’s trip, but a diplomatic source in Somaliland told the BBC that the visit is intended to advance political and strategic partnerships.

The Somaliland government confirmed Saar’s arrival in a post on X.

Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991, after the overthrow of Somali military dictator Siad Barre.

However, the region has remained largely unrecognised on the global stage and Somalia considers Somaliland to be an integral part of its territory.

Israel’s recognition of Somaliland last month came as a surprise, with Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu citing Somaliland’s “right to self-determination”.

This move sparked international condemnation and prompted an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council. China, Turkey and the African Union were among those criticising Israel’s step. The US defended Israel, accusing its critics of double standards.

In a statement following Israel’s announcement, Saar said: “Somaliland was not created this past weekend. It has existed as a functioning state for more than 34 years.

“The attacks on Israel’s recognition of Somaliland are hypocritical. Only Israel will decide who to recognise and with who to maintain diplomatic relations.”

Jubilant crowds poured onto the streets of Hargeisa and other towns across Somaliland on Sunday, waving red-white-green national flags, setting off fireworks and chanting slogans of independence after Israel became the first United Nations member state to formally recognize the self-declared republic.

The celebrations followed Israel’s announcement on Friday, December 26, that it had extended official recognition to Somaliland, more than three decades after the territory unilaterally broke away from Somalia in 1991 following the collapse of the central government in Mogadishu. No country had previously taken the step, despite Somaliland’s long-standing claims of statehood and its relative stability in a volatile region.

“This is a historic moment for our people,” Somaliland’s President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi said, hailing what he described as the birth of a “strategic partnership” with Israel aimed at promoting mutual prosperity, regional stability, and peace across the Middle East and Africa.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu framed the decision as part of a broader diplomatic realignment, calling it “in the spirit of the Abraham Accords,” the U.S.-brokered normalization agreements that have reshaped Israel’s relations with several Arab and Muslim-majority countries.

During a video call broadcast by Somaliland television, Netanyahu signed a joint declaration of mutual recognition alongside Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar. The document commits both sides to immediate cooperation in agriculture, health, technology, and security, areas Israel has highlighted as pillars of its outreach to Africa.

In Somaliland’s capital, Israeli and Somaliland flags were hoisted side by side in a ceremony broadcast live on state television. “Mass celebrations are taking place in Hargeisa and across cities of the Republic of Somaliland, as citizens proudly gather to commemorate the historic decision by the Government of Israel,” Somaliland’s foreign ministry said in a statement posted on X.

“We welcome every country that recognises our existence,” Jama Suleyman, a resident of Hargeisa, told AFP as crowds celebrated late into the night. “For the people of Somalia, our neighbours should not be concerned about this victory; we know they are making noises, but there is nothing that will make Somaliland stop from aiming high.”

The move, however, triggered swift and fierce condemnation from Somalia’s federal government, which insists Somaliland remains an integral part of the country.

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud described Israel’s recognition as “illegal aggression” and a “deliberate attack” on Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. “Somaliland is an integral, inseparable, and inalienable part of Somalia,” he said, warning that the decision threatened regional peace and stability.

Somalia’s parliament passed a symbolic resolution declaring Israel’s recognition “null and void,” while the Foreign Ministry accused Israel of undermining international law and encouraging secessionist movements across Africa.

The African Union (AU) echoed those concerns, firmly rejecting any recognition of Somaliland as an independent state. In a statement, the AU reaffirmed Somalia’s territorial integrity, warning that endorsing breakaway entities could destabilize the continent and set dangerous precedents for unresolved border disputes.

Similar positions were voiced by Egypt, Turkey, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and the European Union, all of which reiterated support for Somalia’s unity and cautioned against unilateral diplomatic moves.

Tensions escalated further on Sunday when Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels issued a stark warning in response to Israel’s recognition.

Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi declared that “any Israeli presence in Somaliland would be considered a military target,” framing the recognition as an act of aggression not only against Somalia but also against Yemen and Red Sea security.

The warning comes amid heightened regional tensions, as the Houthis have intensified attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, claiming solidarity with Palestinians during the ongoing Gaza conflict.

Analysts say Somaliland’s strategic position along the Gulf of Aden — near one of the world’s busiest maritime chokepoints — adds a sensitive security dimension to Israel’s decision. Some believe recognition could give Israel enhanced access for intelligence monitoring or logistical cooperation in a region critical to global trade and energy flows.

While Somaliland has largely avoided the chronic instability that plagues southern and central Somalia, where the Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabaab insurgency remains active, its sudden elevation onto the geopolitical stage risks drawing it into wider regional confrontations.

Israel’s closest ally, the United States, moved quickly to distance itself from the recognition. The State Department reiterated Washington’s long-standing support for Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, underscoring that U.S. policy remains unchanged.

For Somaliland, however, Israel’s recognition represents a potential diplomatic breakthrough after more than 30 years of international isolation. The territory operates its own government, holds elections, issues its own currency and passports, and maintains independent security forces — yet it has remained unrecognized by the international community.

Officials in Hargeisa hope the move will open doors to embassies, ambassadors, foreign investment, and broader international engagement.

Khadar Hussein Abdi, Somaliland’s minister of the presidency, sought to calm fears of escalation. “The recognition and the arrival of Israel will not create violence, will not bring conflict, and will never harm anyone,” he said, emphasizing Somaliland’s commitment to peace and stability.

The recognition has also inflamed Palestinian concerns, amid reports linking Somaliland to controversial Israeli discussions about the relocation of Palestinians from Gaza.

In recent months, press reports have suggested Somaliland was among a handful of African territories willing to host Palestinians expelled by Israel. Those claims gained renewed attention after Dan Diker, president of the Jerusalem Center for Foreign Affairs, said in a December 28 interview clip shared on X that Somaliland had “privately offered to absorb 100,000 to 1.5 million Gazans” to provide them “safe lives.”

Diker described Somaliland as “the only country to step up,” suggesting the offer was a key factor behind Israel’s recognition — claims that have not been independently verified and which Somaliland officials have not formally confirmed.

The Palestinian Foreign Office responded with a sharply worded statement, affirming its “absolute support for the unity, sovereignty, and political independence of Somalia” and rejecting Israel’s recognition of Somaliland.

The ministry condemned what it described as recognition by an “illegitimate occupying power,” warning that Israel’s move was part of broader attempts to destabilize regional and international security in violation of international law, the UN Charter, and resolutions of the OIC.

It recalled previous references to Somaliland as a potential destination for expelled Palestinians and issued a categorical rejection of “any plans for the forced displacement of our people, under any pretext whatsoever,” calling such proposals a red line.

Somali President Mohamud echoed those concerns in an address to parliament, declaring: “Somalia will never accept the people of Palestine to be forcibly evicted from their rightful land to a faraway place, let it be Somalia or elsewhere.”

As celebrations continue in Somaliland and condemnation spreads elsewhere, Israel’s recognition has sent shockwaves through Africa, the Middle East, and beyond. Whether the move remains a solitary diplomatic gesture or becomes the first crack in decades of international consensus remains uncertain.

For now, Somaliland’s supporters see a long-awaited affirmation of statehood, while critics warn of destabilizing consequences in one of the world’s most fragile regions — a reminder that recognition, while symbolic, can carry profound geopolitical weight.

Getty Images