Israel on Friday formally recognised Somaliland as an independent and sovereign nation — a historic first for the self-declared state — signing a mutual declaration in a move officials said could reshape diplomatic alignments in the Horn of Africa and beyond.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the recognition, saying in an official statement: “I announced today the official recognition of the Republic of Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state.” The declaration, he added, was made “in the spirit of the Abraham Accords,” a reference to the Middle East normalization agreements brokered earlier in the decade.
The agreement, signed via videoconference by Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, lays the groundwork for full diplomatic ties, including the exchange of ambassadors and the opening of embassies, officials said. Israel said it will pursue cooperation with Somaliland across sectors such as agriculture, health, technology and the economy.
In Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland, President Abdullahi welcomed the move as a “historic moment” and signalled his region’s willingness to “join the Abraham Accords”, framing the decision as a step toward regional and global peace and diversified partnerships.
Somaliland’s leadership has long sought international recognition after declaring independence from Somalia in 1991, but until Friday had not secured formal diplomatic status from any United Nations member state.
However, the move immediately sparked diplomatic fury. Somalia’s government denounced the recognition as an “unlawful step” and a violation of its sovereignty, reaffirming that “the Somaliland Region is an integral, inseparable, and inalienable part of the sovereign territory” of Somalia. Mogadishu vowed to contest the decision through “all available legal and diplomatic channels.”
The African Union similarly condemned Israel’s decision, with its Commission Chair Mahamoud Ali Youssouf emphasising the bloc’s “unwavering commitment to the unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Somalia.”
Regional powers also voiced strong objections. Turkey’s Foreign Ministry called the recognition “unlawful,” accusing Israel of interfering in Somalia’s internal affairs and destabilising regional norms. Egypt and other Arab states reiterated their backing for Somalia’s territorial integrity and warned the move could undermine peace and security in the Horn of Africa and beyond.
Analysts say the breakthrough could boost Somaliland’s bid for wider recognition, but it is expected to complicate relations in East Africa and generate diplomatic friction with countries prioritising established borders and African regional norms.
