Israel became the first country to recognize Somaliland as an independent state

Israel officially recognized Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated this. As Reuters notes , Israel became the first country to recognize Somaliland.

According to Netanyahu, Israel intends to immediately expand cooperation with Somaliland in the fields of agriculture, health, technology and the economy. He congratulated Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdallah, invited him to an official visit to Israel and called the recognition consistent with the spirit of the Abraham Accords, brokered by the Donald Trump administration.

The joint declaration of mutual recognition was signed by Netanyahu, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar and the President of Somaliland. Somaliland authorities responded by announcing their intention to join the Abraham Accords, calling the move a contribution to regional and global peace.

The Somali government condemned Israel's decision, calling it an "illegal move" and a "deliberate attack" on the country's sovereignty. A statement from the Office of the Prime Minister of Somalia emphasizes that Mogadishu does not recognize any attempts to legitimize the secession of Somaliland and intends to seek protection of territorial integrity through diplomatic, political and legal means.

Israel's decision was also condemned by Egypt, Türkiye and Djibouti. Their foreign ministers said in Cairo that they supported Somalia's unity and warned that recognition of the breakaway regions poses a threat to international security. The African Union also rejected recognition of Somaliland, declaring its "unwavering commitment" to Somalia's territorial integrity.

Somaliland has existed de facto since 1991, when Somalia's civil war began, and has been seeking international recognition for decades. Before Israel's decision, no UN member state officially recognized its independence.

Previously, the United States and Israel have already had contacts with the Somaliland authorities. In March, the Associated Press reported that Washington and Jerusalem were discussing with Sudan, Somalia and Somaliland the possibility of housing Palestinian refugees displaced from the Gaza Strip. According to the agency, financial and military assistance, debt relief, access to technology and diplomatic support could be offered in exchange, but Sudanese authorities rejected these offers, and representatives of Somalia and Somaliland said they had not received such requests.

Somaliland's newly elected president, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, has previously called international recognition a top policy priority. The Associated Press noted that the United States is conducting a “quiet dialogue” with Somaliland about possible formats of cooperation that could be of interest to Washington in exchange for recognition of the territory’s independence. One possible condition, according to the agency, could be a change in Somaliland's foreign policy, including weakening support for the Palestinians.