Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday that Israel recognized Somaliland, a breakaway region from Somalia, as an “independent and sovereign state.”
“Together with Foreign Minister Saar and the President of the Republic of Somaliland, we signed a joint and mutual declaration,” Netanyahu posted on Twitter.
“This announcement is in the spirit of the Abraham Accords signed at the initiative of President Trump,” he said.
In doing so, Israel became the first country to recognize the seceded territory.
What to know about Somaliland?
Somaliland broke away from Somalia in 1991 and the region has since sought international recognition as an independent state.
But till this afternoon no foreign government has recognized its sovereignty.
Nevertheless, Somaliland remains more stable than Somalia and some analysts say That the seceded state has a strong case for independence.
In recent years, Somaliland has struck large power investment deals with foreign powers, including Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates, increasing tensions with Somalia.
Somalis face a complete travel ban to the US under the Trump administration.
Israel seeks immediate cooperation with Somaliland in agriculture, economy
Netanyahu said Israel would seek immediate cooperation with Somaliland in agriculture, health, technology and economy.
Netanyahu congratulated Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, praising his leadership and inviting him to visit Israel.
Somaliland welcomes Israeli recognition
Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi said in a statement that the breakaway state would join the Abraham Accords, calling it a step towards regional and global peace.
He said Somaliland is committed to building partnerships, fostering mutual prosperity and promoting stability throughout the Middle East and Africa.
Somaliland’s Foreign Ministry posted on X: “Somaliland’s moment has arrived.”
What to know about the Abraham Accords and why it’s important
The Abraham Accords is an important foreign policy achievement of US President Donald Trump in his first term.
The deals made to normalize relations between Israel and other Arab countries were considered at the time to be a major step towards peace in the Middle East region.
Israel’s normalized relations with the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan and others have provided some success stories. But progress has stalled.
Trump hopes to expand the number of countries that have signed agreements that bring mutual economic and security benefits during his second term.
Foreign ministers of Egypt, Somalia and Türkiye condemn Israeli recognition of Somaliland
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdellatty said he discussed by phone with his counterparts from Somalia, Turkey and Djibouti what he described as dangerous developments in the Horn of Africa following Israel’s announcement.
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said the ministers condemned Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, reaffirmed their full support for Somalia’s unity and territorial integrity, and warned that recognizing the breakaway territories is a threat to international peace and security.
“This initiative by Israel, which is in line with its expansionist policy and its efforts to do everything to prevent the recognition of a Palestinian state, is a blatant interference in Somalia’s domestic affairs,” Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Edited by: Dmytro Lyubenko