Sat Dec 27 14:39:53 UTC 2025: News Article:
Israel Recognizes Somaliland, Sparks International Controversy
JERUSALEM – In a move that has ignited a diplomatic firestorm, Israel has formally recognized Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state, becoming the first nation to do so. The announcement, made by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, has been met with condemnation from Somalia, the African Union, Turkey, and Egypt. Somaliland, a self-declared republic in northern Somalia, has been seeking international recognition since its declaration of independence in 1991.
Netanyahu hailed the decision as the beginning of a strategic partnership, inviting Somaliland’s President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi to visit Israel. The move is said to be in the spirit of the Abraham Accords, agreements brokered by the Trump administration to normalize relations between Israel and Arab nations.
However, Somalia’s foreign ministry has denounced Israel’s action as an attack on its sovereignty and a threat to regional peace. The African Union echoed this sentiment, warning of a “dangerous precedent” for stability across the continent. Several other countries have also voiced their opposition.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump told the New York Post he opposed US recognition of Somaliland. When asked about it he responded: “Does anyone know what Somaliland is, really?”
Analysts suggest Israel’s strategic interests in the Red Sea region, particularly in light of potential future conflicts with Yemen’s Houthi rebels, are driving the recognition.
In Somaliland’s capital, Hargeisa, citizens celebrated the announcement, waving the breakaway state’s flag. President Abdullahi stated Somaliland’s readiness to join the Abraham Accords on social media.
The move has further complicated the already tense relationship between Somalia and Somaliland, particularly following a recent deal between Ethiopia and Somaliland that granted Ethiopia access to the coast for a port and military base.
First Piper 