{"id":205889,"date":"2025-12-27T01:36:14","date_gmt":"2025-12-27T01:36:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/205889\/"},"modified":"2025-12-27T01:36:14","modified_gmt":"2025-12-27T01:36:14","slug":"israel-becomes-first-country-to-recognize-breakaway-somaliland-as-independent-state","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/205889\/","title":{"rendered":"Israel becomes first country to recognize breakaway Somaliland as independent state"},"content":{"rendered":"

Israel on Friday became the first country to recognize the Republic of Somaliland as an independent state, more than three decades after the African region broke away from Somalia, with the Muslim nation saying it aspired to join the Abraham Accords.<\/p>\n

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa\u2019ar signed the declaration for Israel, while Somaliland\u2019s President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi signed for his country, which sits in a key strategic region in the Horn of Africa.<\/p>\n

While no other countries have formally recognized it, several states \u2014 including the UK, Ethiopia, Turkey, the UAE, Denmark, Kenya and Taiwan \u2014 maintained liaison offices, and the Trump administration has signaled in recent months that it could change its stance on the breakaway region. However, the Friday announcement sparked anger among several regional powers who accused Israel of undermining the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Somalia.<\/p>\n

Speaking to Abdullahi by phone, Netanyahu said the friendship between the countries was \u201cseminal and historic.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe intend to work together with you on economic fields, on agriculture, in the fields of social development,\u201d Netanyahu said.<\/p>\n

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Netanyahu invited Abdullahi for an official visit to Israel. Abdullahi said he will come \u201cas soon as possible,\u201d according to the Israel statement.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\"\"<\/a>
\n\t\tIsrael\u2019s declaration recognizing the Republic of Somaliland as an independent state, signed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa\u2019ar on December 26, 2025. (Foreign Ministry)<\/p>\n

Netanyahu\u2019s office also released a video showing him speaking to Abdullahi by telephone.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want you to know that I am signing now as we speak Israel\u2019s official recognition of the Somaliland,\u201d Netanyahu tells Abdullahi, adding that the new relationship would offer economic opportunities.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am very, very happy and I am very proud of this day and I want to wish you and the people of Somaliland the very, very best,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Netanyahu said the declaration \u201cis in the spirit of the Abraham Accords, signed at the initiative of [US] President [Donald] Trump.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 2020 accords were brokered by Trump\u2019s first administration and included Israel formalizing diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, with other countries, including Morocco, joining later.<\/p>\n

The agreement with Morocco was followed by Israel recognizing<\/a> Rabat\u2019s sovereignty over the contested Western Sahara region.<\/p>\n

Netanyahu, Sa\u2019ar and Somaliland\u2019s president signed a joint declaration of mutual recognition, the Israeli statement said.<\/p>\n

Abdullahi said in a separate statement that Somaliland would join the Abraham Accords, calling it a step toward regional and global peace. He said Somaliland was committed to building partnerships, boosting mutual prosperity and promoting stability across the Middle East and Africa.<\/p>\n

\t\"\"<\/a>
\n\t\tSomaliland\u2019s President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi speaks on the phone with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while signing Israel\u2019s declaration to recognize the Republic of Somaliland as an independent state, December 26, 2025. (GPO)<\/p>\n

Somaliland, a Sunni Muslim country, enjoyed five days of independence in 1960, during which time it was recognized by Israel and 34 other countries before uniting with Somalia. Somaliland formally broke away in 1991 as Somalia disintegrated into anarchy.<\/p>\n

Somaliland is located along most of Somalia\u2019s Red Sea coastline and has effectively acted as an independent country during Somalia\u2019s decades-long and ongoing civil war, and is in many respects a more stable and functioning state than Somalia itself, with a history of peaceful, democratic transitions of power.<\/p>\n

For decades, Somaliland pushed for international recognition, and it was the key priority for Abdullahi since he took office last year.<\/p>\n

Its lack of international recognition has hampered access to foreign loans, aid and investment, and the region remains deeply impoverished.<\/p>\n

\t\"\"<\/a>
\n\t\tVoters queue to cast their votes as a woman covers herself with a Somaliland flag before the opening of the polls during the 2024 Somaliland presidential election in Hargeisa on November 13, 2024. (LUIS TATO\/AFP)<\/p>\n

Channel 12 reported that Abdullahi made a secret visit to Israel in October, meeting with Netanyahu, Mossad chief David Barnea and Defense Minister Israel Katz.<\/p>\n

The network said that ties between the two governments emerged as Israel searched for countries willing to take in Gazans it was looking to move out of the Strip during the war \u2014 an effort that seems to have failed due to overwhelming international backlash against the idea of displacing Gazans.<\/p>\n

Beyond a potential home for Gazans, a central Israeli motivation for deepening ties with Somaliland\u2019s is the latter region\u2019s proximity to Yemen. Access to Somaliland\u2019s territory and airspace would make it easier for Israel to conduct strikes and surveil the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.<\/p>\n

In Netanyahu\u2019s statement announcing the move, he thanked Sa\u2019ar, Mossad Director David Barnea and the Mossad for their contribution in advancing recognition between the two countries, and \u201cwishes the people of Somaliland success, prosperity and freedom,\u201d said his office.<\/p>\n

Sa\u2019ar wrote on X that embassies will be opened in both countries and ambassadors appointed.<\/p>\n

Israel, which has become increasingly isolated internationally during the Gaza war, has made it a priority to expand its ties in Africa.<\/a> In August, Israel reopened its embassy in Zambia after more than 50 years.<\/p>\n

\t\"\"<\/a>
\n\t\tDisplaced Palestinians wait for food at a shelter where families have been living in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, on November 23, 2025. (EYAD BABA \/ AFP)<\/p>\n

While the unusual diplomatic step promises benefits for Israel, some local officials were also critical.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll the countries of the world except for Israel see Somaliland as an integral part of Somalia. The decision to recognize Somaliland as an independent country completely undermines Israel\u2019s argument against recognizing an independent Palestinian state,\u201d a senior Israeli official told Channel 12 news.<\/p>\n

The move also sparked anger among several regional powers, who said it undermined the territorial integrity of Somalia.<\/p>\n

The foreign ministers of Somalia, Egypt, Turkey and Djibouti condemned Israel\u2019s recognition of Somaliland, Egypt said on Friday.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe ministers affirmed their total rejection and condemnation of Israel\u2019s recognition of the Somaliland region, stressing their full support for the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Somalia,\u201d Egypt\u2019s foreign ministry said in a statement following a phone call between Egypt\u2019s foreign minister and his Somali, Turkish, and Djiboutian counterparts.<\/p>\n

In an additional, separate statement, Somalia\u2019s foreign ministry denounced Israel\u2019s \u201cdeliberate attack\u201d on its sovereignty by recognizing the breakaway state, warning that this would \u201cundermine regional peace.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIllegitimate actions of this nature seriously undermine regional peace and stability, exacerbate political and security tensions,\u201d the ministry said in a statement.<\/p>\n

\t\"\"<\/a>
\n\t\tSomalliland National Electoral Commission (SNEC) officials monitor the voting process at a polling station during the 2024 Somaliland presidential election in Hargeisa on November 13, 2024. (LUIS TATO \/ AFP)<\/p>\n

Later, Turkey \u2014 a key ally of Somalia \u2014 issued its own statement condemning Israel.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis initiative by Israel, which aligns with its expansionist policy and its efforts to do everything to prevent the recognition of a Palestinian state, constitutes overt interference in Somalia\u2019s domestic affairs,\u201d said a Turkish foreign ministry statement.<\/p>\n

Saudi Arabia also expressed strong opposition to the declaration. Its Foreign Ministry reaffirmed the Kingdom\u2019s \u201cfull support for the sovereignty of the sisterly Federal Republic of Somalia and the unity and territorial integrity of its land.\u201d<\/p>\n

It rejected the mutual recognition between Israeli authorities and Somaliland, describing it as a \u201cunilateral separatist\u201d move that violates international law.<\/p>\n

In a statement issued by African Union head Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, the AU called for African borders to be respected and said: \u201cAny attempt to undermine the unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Somalia\u2026 risks setting a dangerous precedent with far-reaching implications for peace and stability across the continent.\u201d<\/p>\n

The chief of the pan-African body, which counts Somalia as a member, said he \u201cfirmly rejects any initiative or action aimed at recognizing Somaliland as an independent entity\u201d and stated that Somaliland \u201cremains an integral part of the Federal Republic of Somalia.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Israel on Friday became the first country to recognize the Republic of Somaliland as an independent state, more…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":205890,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[42,43,40,38,41,39],"class_list":{"0":"post-205889","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-headlines","8":"tag-headlines","9":"tag-news","10":"tag-top-news","11":"tag-top-stories","12":"tag-topnews","13":"tag-topstories"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/205889","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=205889"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/205889\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/205890"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=205889"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=205889"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=205889"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}