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Israeli foreign minister visiting Somaliland, sources say

AL-Monitor
Jan 6, 2026
A demonstrator holds an image depicting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as Somalis attend a demonstration after Israel became the first country to formally recognise the self-declared Republic of Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state, a decision that could reshape regional dynamics and test Somalia's longstanding opposition to secession, in Hodan district of Mogadishu, Somalia, December 28, 2025. REUTERS/Feisal Omar
A demonstrator holds an image depicting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as Somalis attend a demonstration after Israel became the first country to formally recognise the self-declared Republic of Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state, a decision that could reshape regional dynamics and test Somalia's longstanding opposition to secession, in Hodan district of Mogadishu, Somalia, December 28, 2025. REUTERS/Feisal Omar — Feisal Omar

NAIROBI/JERUSALEM, Jan 6 (Reuters) - Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar is on a visit to Somaliland in East Africa, where he is due to meet the semi-autonomous region's president later on Tuesday, according to a senior Somaliland official.

A second source briefed on the visit confirmed the foreign minister was in Somaliland, without providing further details. The Israeli foreign ministry did not immediately respond when asked if the foreign minsiter was in Somaliland.

The visit comes 10 days after Israel formally recognised the self-declared Republic of Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state, a move that sparked criticism from Somalia, which has long opposed Somaliland's bid to secede.

(Reporting by Giulia Paravicini and Alexander Cornwell; Editing by Alex Richardson)