Israel recognizes Somaliland as a state, and the decision has provoked widespread international condemnation

Somaliland, the separatist region of Somalia, has been officially declared an "independent and sovereign state" by Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, thus becoming the first countryto recognize Somaliland da Israel. 

Somaliland disassociated itself from Somalia in 1991, but self-claims have not been supported internationally. The region has its own constitution, currency and government, and has better economic development and greater political stability than Somalia itself. 

The recognition of Israel has provoked strong international condemnation, particularly in Africa, the Arab world and China.

Netanyahu's office says in the social media text that "this recognition is part of the Abraham Accords signed at the initiative of President Trump." The same sources have explained that the Israeli Prime Minister has spoken to the Somaliland president and that the two countries agreed to expand their cooperation in areas such as "agriculture, health, technology and the economy." 

Under US mediation, Israel, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain signed the Abraham Accords in 2020 to improve their diplomatic relations, and then Sudan and Morocco joined them.

In the same vein as Netanyahu, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has spoken on Network X. He stressed that "this recognition is the result of a long and constant conversation over the past year." Saar met for the first time in March  Abdirahman with representatives of Somaliland President Mohamed Abdullahi, and since then there have been several high-level meetings, all secret, according to various US media reports. They say that the United States and Israel contacted three East African governments, including Somaliland, to send Palestinians expelled from the Gaza Strip. 

Hamas: "We will not accept the transfer of our people"

The Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas strongly condemns Israel's recognition and denounces Netanyahu's desire to send Palestinians from the Gaza Strip there. "We strongly condemn the occupation plans to forcibly displace our people, including the use of Somaliland as a destination for the people of Gaza," the Palestinian movement says.

Hamas considers this to be "a dangerous precedent and an unacceptable attempt to gain the false legitimacy of a fascist organization occupying Palestinian soil." 

For its part, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Palestinian National Authority, which governs parts of the occupied West Bank, has also strongly denounced the Israeli decision. 

Clear international condemnation

The Somali Governmentstrongly condemns its "deliberate attack on sovereignty by seeking to illegally recognize Israel's northern region of Somalia. Somaliland is an integral, inseparable and non-transferable part of the sovereign territory of the Federal Republic of Somalia."

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has had telephone conversations with African leaders including Kenya's President William Ruto, Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni, \u00amia Suluhu Hassan Tanzania's President  and President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh Yibuti have all expressed support.

In the same vein, the chairman of the African Union Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, recalled that this territory remains an "integral part" of Somalia. "Any attempt to undermine Somalia's unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity violates the fundamental principles of the African Union and could constitute a dangerous precedent for peace and stability throughout the continent," he stressed.

China itself, Kuwait, Iraq (which holds the rotating presidency of the Arab League), Jordan and Saudi Arabia have joined this rejection.