ASIA/ISRAEL – Historic visit of the President of Somaliland to Israel

Tel Aviv – Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, President of Somaliland, described his visit to Israel, the first state to officially recognize Somaliland on December 26, 2025, as a “historic moment” and the beginning of a new chapter.
Abdullahi arrived in Israel on June, 14 and was received by Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, and other government officials.
The highlight of the visit was the opening of the Somali Embassy in Jerusalem. On this occasion, a joint declaration was also signed to strengthen cooperation between the two countries in the areas of security and defense; agriculture, water management, and infrastructure; technology, healthcare, and economic development; as well as trade and investment in manufacturing and infrastructure.
Israel’s partnership with Somaliland, a region that seceded from the rest of Somalia in 1991, builds on previous informal relations and aligns with the Jewish state’s strategic interests in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea. A key objective is combating the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen. According to some sources, Israel already maintains a military base in Somaliland, which may be shared with the United Arab Emirates, another major supporter of the secessionist region. The cooperation between Israel and Somaliland has been met with disapproval from Somalia, which continues to claim Somaliland as an integral part of its territory, as well as from several Arab, Islamic, and African countries, which view it as a violation of Somali sovereignty and territorial integrity. Turkey and Egypt, in particular, have intensified their military cooperation with Mogadishu.

Read original article