Israel has become the first nation to officially recognize the independence of Somaliland — a region that has separated from Somalia.
Gideon Saar, Israel's Foreign Minister, announced on the social network X the intention to establish "full diplomatic relations with the appointment of ambassadors and the opening of embassies" between the countries.
The President of Somaliland, Mohamed Abdullahi, described this decision as historic and added that his region intends to join the "Abraham Accords" — agreements between Israel and predominantly Muslim countries regarding mutual recognition and the establishment of diplomatic relations.
At the same time, the internationally recognized President of Somalia, Hamza Abdi Barre, viewed Israel's move as a violation of his country's sovereignty. The foreign ministers of Egypt, Turkey, and Djibouti also condemned this decision, noting that recognizing the independence of separate parts of sovereign states creates a dangerous precedent in terms of international law and the UN Charter.
In practice, the Somali government controls only a small part of its territory. The northern part of the Horn of Africa is governed by two separatist entities — Somaliland and Puntland, between which there are disputed areas.
