Gideon Sa'ar, Israel's Minister of Foreign Affairs, announced on the social network X the intention to establish "full diplomatic relations," which implies the appointment of ambassadors and the opening of embassies.
The President of Somaliland, Mohamed Abdullahi, described this decision as historic and stated that the republic would become part of the "Abraham Accords." These accords, signed between Israel and a number of predominantly Muslim countries, aim to establish mutual recognition and diplomatic relations and were initiated by the administration of Donald Trump.
Meanwhile, the internationally recognized President of Somalia, Hamza Abdi Barre, expressed dissatisfaction, characterizing Israel's actions as a deliberate encroachment on the sovereignty of his state.
Israel's move has drawn condemnation from the foreign ministers of Egypt, Turkey, and Djibouti during a four-way phone conversation with their Somali counterpart. They noted that recognizing the independence of individual regions of sovereign countries creates a dangerous precedent in terms of international law and the UN Charter.
Although the internationally recognized territory of Somalia covers the entire coastline of the Horn of Africa, the government in Mogadishu effectively controls only a small part of the country. The northern region, in turn, is divided into two parts by separatist entities—Somaliland and Puntland—between which there are significant disputed territories.
Somaliland, officially known as the Republic of Somaliland, is an unrecognized state located in the northern part of the Horn of Africa, on the territory of the former British Somaliland colony. On May 18, 1991, the independent status of the Republic of Somaliland was proclaimed as a result of a special congress of elders from northern Somali tribes.
