Diplomacy/ Israel recognizes breakaway Somaliland, stoking regional tensions
Israel has become the first nation to formally recognize the breakaway region of Somaliland as independent, a move that has immediately ignited diplomatic friction in the Horn of Africa and the Middle East.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the decision, framing it as a “historic” step to expand cooperation.
In response, Somaliland’s president, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, accepted an invitation to visit Israel and expressed intent to join the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords.
However, the recognition was met with swift and unified condemnation. Somalia rejected it as an attack on its sovereignty.
Egypt, a key mediator in Gaza, led a joint rejection with Turkey and Djibouti, affirming support for Somalia’s territorial integrity and warning the move sets a dangerous international precedent.
The development marks a significant, if controversial, diplomatic gain for Somaliland, which declared independence from Somalia over three decades ago but has lacked international recognition.
It also reflects Israel’s continued strategy to forge new alliances in Africa and the Muslim world, even as it faces regional backlash over the war in Gaza.
