Jerusalem/Hargeisa, Jan 6 (.) Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar visited Somaliland on Tuesday, marking the first official trip since Israel formally recognised the breakaway state last month, Somaliland’s presidency confirmed.
“A delegation led by the Israel Foreign Minister landed at the Hargeisa town. He was received at the airport by senior government officials. He had meetings with the Somaliland top officials,” the presidency said in a statement, reports Times Of Israel.
Israel became the first country to formally recognise the breakaway state of Republic of Somaliland late last month as a sovereign nation state, more than three decades after the largely still unrecognised country separated from Somalia.
Israel’s recognition last Friday, sparked massive anger among several regional powers and blocs, who collectively accused the Jewish state of undermining the territorial sovereignty and integrity of Somalia, especially nations from the African union and the Arab League, with the European union also being critical of the move.
Following the recognition, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with President Abdullahi by phone and invited him to make an official visit to Israel. Abdullahi said he would travel “as soon as possible.”
He also announced that Somaliland would join the US-brokered Abraham Accords, which normalised Jerusalem’s relations with several Muslim nations in 2020, including the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan, Somaliland, as well as Kazakhstan (in a largely symbolic gesture as it already had established full relations in 1990).
Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 and has long sought international recognition, and while it functions as a de facto independent nation state with its own currency, passport, constitution, and armed forces, it has – much like Taiwan – remained diplomatically isolated since its unilateral declaration of independence.
According to Netanyahu, Israel – post the full diplomatic normalisation – aims to expand its cooperation with Somaliland across multiple sectors, including, but not limited to agriculture, health, technology and economic development.
Regional analysts note that Somaliland’s location is also of substantial importance to this diplomatic normalisation, as its location in the Horn of Africa – across the Gulf of Aden from Yemen, where the Houthis hold much ground – make it strategically very valuable.
Regional observers believe closer ties with Somaliland could give Israel greater access to the Red Sea and enhance its ability to monitor—and potentially counter—Houthi activity in and around Yemen, amid increasing piracy in the region.
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