In first, Israel's foreign minister visits Somaliland: What to know

On the first official visit by an Israeli official, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar traveled to Somaliland on Tuesday to meet with Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi and other senior officials.

A statement issued by the Israeli Foreign Ministry on Tuesday afternoon said the visit occurred at the invitation of the Somaliland president and that Saar met with Somaliland officials at the presidential palace in the capital, Hargeisa.

What happened: Saar's meetings in Hargeisa also included his counterpart, Foreign Affairs Minister Abdirahman Dahir Adan; Minister of the Presidency Khadar Hussein Abdi; Chief of Staff Brig. Gen. Nimcaan Yusuf Osman; Speaker of the House of Elders Suleiman Mohamoud Adan; and Speaker of the House of Representatives Yasin Haji Mohamoud.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Dec. 22 Israel's recognition of Somaliland, prompting angry reactions from the African Union, China, Turkey, Somalia and several other African countries. The European Union did not directly condemn the recognition but insisted that Somalia's sovereignty should be respected. Israel became the first United Nations member to recognize Somaliland. Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates maintain close economic and strategic relations with Somaliland but have not officially recognized it.

Addressing the press at the presidential palace, Saar said Tuesday that Israel and Somaliland "agreed on the mutual appointment of ambassadors and the opening of embassies. We’ll get that done soon," adding that the two countries "want to build an enduring and warm friendship not only between governments [but] also between the people of Somaliland and the people of Israel."

Saar criticized the French initiative recognizing Palestine last September at the UN, saying that "unlike Palestine, Somaliland is not a virtual state. It's a functioning state. Somaliland is a fully functioning country based on the principles of international law. Somaliland is and has been a stable democracy for nearly 35 years. It has democratic elections — most recently in November 2024 — and peaceful transitions of power. It's pro-Western and friendly to Israel."

Why it matters: Israel recognized Somaliland, which broke away from Somalia in 1991, for both diplomatic and security reasons. Somaliland is located in the Horn of Africa on the shores of the Red Sea and overlooks the Bab el-Mandeb straits. Relations with Somaliland could make it easier for Israel to strike the Houthis in Yemen if Israeli jets require refueling (Israeli strikes at Houthi bases have so far required in-air refueling). According to diplomatic sources, the move also serves as a warning to the Houthis not to attack ships owned by Israeli companies. 

The ties could also help Israel gather intelligence on the Houthis and on Iranian efforts to expand influence in the Horn of Africa. Somalia severed its ties with Iran in 2016 but rehabilitated relations with Tehran in 2024. Israel’s recognition of Somaliland sends a message to Iran that it is not giving up — either diplomatically or security-wise — on the Horn of Africa.

When announcing the recognition, Netanyahu said that Somaliland would join projects developed within the framework of the 2020 Abraham Accords that saw the normalization of ties between Israel, the Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan. 

Know more: In a statement on Tuesday, Somalia’s Foreign Ministry called Israel’s visit "illegal," stating that the country "reserves the right to take all appropriate diplomatic and legal measures … to safeguard its sovereignty, national unity and territorial integrity."

The African Union’s Peace and Security Council convened on Tuesday to discuss this latest development, condemning "in the strongest terms" Israel’s recognition and calling for its "immediate revocation."

Israel’s Foreign Ministry told Al-Monitor that it has already started exploring cooperation possibilities in fields like water management, smart agriculture, preventive medicine, education and defense. Cooperation could include the arrival of Israeli experts in the aforementioned sectors in Somaliland, as well as bringing Somaliland officials to Israel for training and study. According to an i24 report on Tuesday, the first Israeli water-management expert has already conducted a preliminary survey in Somaliland. During his visit, Saar said that 49 Somaliland children have received life-saving heart surgery in Israel, and additional collaborations are expected.

After Israel's recognition of Somaliland, President Donald Trump said American recognition was not on the table for the moment. However, Israeli diplomatic sources estimated that the Emirates and Ethiopia might consider a similar move in the near future.