US EditionEast Africa: Israel Recognizes Somaliland
Israel is the first United Nations member to recognize Somaliland's independence, aiming to secure strategic influence along key Red Sea and Gulf of Aden shipping routes.
- On January 6, 2026, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar met Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, President of Somaliland, in Hargeisa after the State of Israel became the first to recognise the Republic of Somaliland.
- Somaliland's strategic position near the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea gives Berbera port access to vital shipping lanes, and analysts link Israel's move to counter Yemen's Houthi militia alongside UAE and DP World interests.
- Hundreds of Somali protesters condemned Israel's recognition while images and Israeli media present in Hargeisa showed flags and selfies, and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar mocked Palestine during a Tuesday briefing.
- Speculation grew that Ethiopia might follow with recognition, while the Federal Government of Somalia warned the move threatens its borders and could fuel unrest or defensive steps.
- Somaliland declared independence in 1991 and has spent decades seeking recognition, controlling around 70 per cent of claimed territory while eastern regions such as Las Anod remain contested.
11 Articles
11 Articles
An apology to Palestinians from a Somali Muslim
FacebookLikeShareTweetEmail Somali journalist Mohamed Kahiye says he feels deep shame and responsibility in light of the Israeli involvement in Somaliland, which directly contradicts historic Somali solidarity with Palestine and marks a painful moral rupture that demands reflection and accountability. When I first confirmed the news I had been closely monitoring, I was at the National […]
Somalia Must Confront Israeli Neocolonial Exploitation of “Somaliland”
This is not merely about “Somaliland”. This is about Africa and the principle that Somalia’s borders cannot be altered without the consent of its people and institutions. Israel’s recognition of the self-declared “Republic of Somaliland” is a neocolonial exploitation project of a complex, deeply divided region in northwestern Somalia. It is a violation of Somalia’s sovereignty, unity, political independence and territorial integrity, as Somali P…
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