Israeli Foreign Minister Follows up Recognition of Somaliland With Historic Visit

Latest Developments

• Sa’ar in Somaliland: Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar traveled to Somaliland on January 6, the first official diplomatic visit since Israel recognized the East African nation as a sovereign and independent state last month. Arriving in the capital city of Hargeisa, Sa’ar met with Somaliland’s President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, who pledged to open Somaliland’s embassy in Israel in the near future. A statement by Somaliland’s Foreign Ministry said that the two officials “held constructive discussions on strengthening bilateral relations, with a focus on diplomacy, security, trade, and investment, as well as regional peace and stability.”
• Somalia Angered by Visit: Somalia’s foreign ministry released a statement condemning “the unauthorized entry of the Foreign Minister of Israel into the city of Hargeisa, which constitutes an integral and inseparable part of the sovereign territories of the Federal Republic of Somalia.” The statement called the visit “unacceptable interference” in Somalia’s internal affairs. Later in the day, Somalia’s Foreign Minister Abdisalam Dhaay convened an “emergency virtual session of the African Union Peace and Security Council” to discuss what he referred to as “developments affecting Somalia’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity,” reaffirming “Somalia’s sovereignty and unity” while rejecting “external interference.”
• Regional Condemnation of Israel: Israel’s surprise December 26 recognition of Somaliland drew swift and harsh condemnation from regional actors, including Turkey and Qatar. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned what he termed an “illegal and unacceptable” step that would “drag the horn of Africa into destabilization,” while Qatar called the move a violation of Somalia’s sovereignty, stating that Israel should instead recognize Palestinian statehood.

FDD Expert Response

“Sa’ar’s historic visit to Somaliland underscores that Israel is no less of a regional power than its adversaries in Qatar, Turkey, and Iran. Vulnerable nations and minorities across the Middle East — from the Druze to the Kurds to the Somalilanders — look to the one Jewish state amid a cluster of Arab and Islamic states as both an ally and a model for seeking and maintaining independence. Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, spoke of an ‘alliance of the periphery’; Sa’ar’s presence in Somaliland is welcome confirmation that this goal remains intact.” — Mark Dubowitz, CEO

“Somaliland has every moral and legal claim to nationhood status as the successor state to British Somaliland, which was granted independence in 1960 and has functioned as a de facto independent democracy since 1991. The truth is that Turkey, Egypt, and a coalition of Sunni Muslim countries will always corral global Islamist opposition to anything that benefits Israel, including pushing for the recognition of a Palestinian state that does not possess any of the legitimizing aspects underlying Somaliland’s claim. These voices should be ignored, and the United States should itself recognize Somaliland.” — Edmund Fitton-Brown, Senior Fellow

FDD Background and Analysis

“Recognizing Somaliland,” by Clifford May

“Airstrikes only first step to stop Islamic terrorists on march through Africa,” by Edmund Fitton-Brown

“Shabaab says it rejects Red Sea access deal between Ethiopia and Somaliland,” by Caleb Weiss