Country's president made secret Israel trip in Oct. as ties warmed

Israel becomes first country to recognize breakaway Somaliland as independent state

President says his country wants to join Abraham Accords; move sparks anger among regional powers who say it undermines sovereignty and territorial integrity of Somalia

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.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar signed the declaration for Israel, while Somaliland’s President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi signed for his country, which sits in a key strategic region in the Horn of Africa.

While no other countries have formally recognized it, several states — including the UK, Ethiopia, Turkey, the UAE, Denmark, Kenya and Taiwan — 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.

Speaking to Abdullahi by phone, Netanyahu said the friendship between the countries was “seminal and historic.”

“We intend to work together with you on economic fields, on agriculture, in the fields of social development,” Netanyahu said.

Netanyahu invited Abdullahi for an official visit to Israel. Abdullahi said he will come “as soon as possible,” according to the Israel statement.”

Netanyahu’s office also released a video showing him speaking to Abdullahi by telephone.

“I want you to know that I am signing now as we speak Israel’s official recognition of the Somaliland,” Netanyahu tells Abdullahi, adding that the new relationship would offer economic opportunities.

“I 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,” he said.

Netanyahu said the declaration “is in the spirit of the Abraham Accords, signed at the initiative of [US] President [Donald] Trump.”

The 2020 accords were brokered by Trump’s first administration and included Israel formalizing diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, with other countries, including Morocco, joining later.

The agreement with Morocco was followed by Israel recognizing Rabat’s sovereignty over the contested Western Sahara region.

Netanyahu, Sa’ar and Somaliland’s president signed a joint declaration of mutual recognition, the Israeli statement said.

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.

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.

Somaliland is located along most of Somalia’s Red Sea coastline and has effectively acted as an independent country during Somalia’s 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.

For decades, Somaliland pushed for international recognition, and it was the key priority for Abdullahi since he took office last year.

Its lack of international recognition has hampered access to foreign loans, aid and investment, and the region remains deeply impoverished.

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.

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 — an effort that seems to have failed due to overwhelming international backlash against the idea of displacing Gazans.

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

In Netanyahu’s statement announcing the move, he thanked Sa’ar, Mossad Director David Barnea and the Mossad for their contribution in advancing recognition between the two countries, and “wishes the people of Somaliland success, prosperity and freedom,” said his office.

Sa’ar wrote on X that embassies will be opened in both countries and ambassadors appointed.

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

While the unusual diplomatic step promises benefits for Israel, some local officials were also critical.

“All 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’s argument against recognizing an independent Palestinian state,” a senior Israeli official told Channel 12 news.

The move also sparked anger among several regional powers, who said it undermined the territorial integrity of Somalia.

The foreign ministers of Somalia, Egypt, Turkey and Djibouti condemned Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, Egypt said on Friday.

“The ministers affirmed their total rejection and condemnation of Israel’s recognition of the Somaliland region, stressing their full support for the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Somalia,” Egypt’s foreign ministry said in a statement following a phone call between Egypt’s foreign minister and his Somali, Turkish, and Djiboutian counterparts.

In an additional, separate statement, Somalia’s foreign ministry denounced Israel’s “deliberate attack” on its sovereignty by recognizing the breakaway state, warning that this would “undermine regional peace.”

“Illegitimate actions of this nature seriously undermine regional peace and stability, exacerbate political and security tensions,” the ministry said in a statement.

Later, Turkey — a key ally of Somalia — issued its own statement condemning Israel.

“This 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’s domestic affairs,” said a Turkish foreign ministry statement.

Saudi Arabia also expressed strong opposition to the declaration. Its Foreign Ministry reaffirmed the Kingdom’s “full support for the sovereignty of the sisterly Federal Republic of Somalia and the unity and territorial integrity of its land.”

It rejected the mutual recognition between Israeli authorities and Somaliland, describing it as a “unilateral separatist” move that violates international law.

In a statement issued by African Union head Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, the AU called for African borders to be respected and said: “Any attempt to undermine the unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Somalia… risks setting a dangerous precedent with far-reaching implications for peace and stability across the continent.”

The chief of the pan-African body, which counts Somalia as a member, said he “firmly rejects any initiative or action aimed at recognizing Somaliland as an independent entity” and stated that Somaliland “remains an integral part of the Federal Republic of Somalia.”