Israel has become the first UN member-state to officially recognise Somaliland, a self-declared sovereign state internationally considered an autonomous region of Somalia, as an Independent and Sovereign State.

Somaliland was previously the protectorate of British Somaliland that gained independence in 1960 and then promptly united with the Trust Territory of Somaliland (formerly Italian Somaliland) to form the Somali Republic. It declared independence in 1991, seceding from Somalia during the Somali Civil War. In spite of continuous military and diplomatic pressure from the government in the Somalian capital of Mogadishu, Somaliland has gradually built up its own (state) infrastructure over the past three decades. In addition to establishing a civilian administrative headquarters in Hargeisa, Somaliland has also developed its own Armed Forces, currency and parallel diplomatic communication system.

Now, Israel has become the first country to formally establish diplomatic relations with Somaliland. A statement issued by Benjamin ‘Bibi’ Netanyahu‘s Office stated: “Our Prime Minister announced the formal recognition of the Republic of Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state on December 26, 2025.” As per the statement, Israel and Somaliland had signed a joint declaration, establishing full diplomatic relations, “in the spirit of the Abraham Accords”, a set of deals brokered by the US to establish formal ties between Israel and Arab Nations.

Immediately after the Zionist Regime recognised his country, President of Somaliland Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi (popularly known as Abdirahman Cirro) welcomed the development as a “historic moment”, expressing readiness for Somaliland to join the Abraham Accords. He stressed that the move “marks the beginning of a strategic partnership that advances mutual interests, strengthens regional peace and security, and delivers shared benefits to all stakeholders”.

Incidentally, both Somalia and Somaliland are Muslim-majority countries. According to political analysts, Prime Minister Netanyahu has established a strategic partnership with a Muslim-majority African nation in an attempt to keep his enemies in West Asia under tremendous diplomatic pressure. As expected, the Government of Somalia released a statement hours after Israel’s announcement, calling the move an “attack” on its sovereignty and an “unlawful action”. Somalia also described Somaliland as an inseparable part of the country.

Meanwhile, the Arab League, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the African Union (AU) and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) have strongly criticised the Jewish Nation for recognising the Somali breakaway region as an Independent State. In a statement, the AU warned that Israel’s move risked “setting a dangerous precedent with far-reaching implications for peace and stability across the continent”. Chair of the AU Commission Mahmoud Ali Youssouf stated that the institution “firmly rejects any initiative or action aimed at recognising Somaliland as an independent entity“, recalling that Somaliland remains an integral part of the Federal Republic of Somalia.

For his part, Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit called Israel’s action “a clear violation of international law and a flagrant infringement of the principle of the unity and sovereignty of states”. He added: “Any attempt to impose unilateral recognition constitutes an unacceptable interference in Somalia’s internal affairs and sets a dangerous precedent that threatens regional and international security and stability.”

The GCC, too, called Israel’s move “a grave violation of the principles of international law and a blatant infringement” of Somalia’s sovereignty. GCC Secretary-General Jasem Albudaiwi issued a statement, mentioning: “This recognition represents a dangerous precedent that will undermine the foundations of stability in the Horn of Africa region and open the door to further tensions and conflicts, contradicting regional and international efforts aimed at strengthening international peace and security in the region.”

Meanwhile,

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Published by Koushik Das

Koushik Das (born on May 16, 1976 in Kolkata) is a career journalist. Based in the Indian capital of New Delhi, Koushik writes mainly about foreign policies and current geopolitical issues, and rarely about other topics. His own political ideas are highly influenced by Antonio Gramsci, Louis Althusser, Michel Foucault, Michael Oakeshott and others. English philosopher and political theorist Oakeshott (Dec 11, 1901-Dec 19, 1990) says that “in political activity, men sail a boundless and bottomless sea. There is neither harbour for shelter nor floor for anchorage, neither starting-place, nor appointed destination. But we have to keep afloat”. (Rationalism in Politics, 1962) As a student of Political Science, Koushik loves to share his views on issues, which have great impacts on his thought process (and also on India, South Asia and of course on the global community), with his readers through his website – Boundless Ocean of Politics. By doing so, he tries to keep himself afloat. You will find some of his articles in https://inserbia.info/today/ (https://inserbia.info/today/author/kou_das13_i/), as he has been trying to assess the global geopolitics since 2003. You can also mail him at kousdas@gmail.com View all posts by Koushik Das