Somaliland President Makes First Official Visit to Israel

Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi arrived in Israel on Sunday for his first-ever official visit, accompanied by his wife, Fardosa Mohamed Roble, and the delegation traveling with them. They were received with a formal ceremony at the residence of President Isaac Herzog, then held a diplomatic meeting and gave joint statements to the press.

Herzog called the visit “historic” and said it reflected the promise of a new partnership between the two sides. He said Israel had recognized Somaliland as an independent state, describing that reality as existing on the ground for decades, and noted that Somaliland had chosen to open an embassy in Jerusalem. He added that the next task was to deepen cooperation in agriculture, technology, trade, health, academia, and security.

Abdullahi thanked Israel for the reception and said the welcome was more than protocol, calling it a sign of respect between two peoples seeking to build a meaningful relationship. He said the trip marked “the beginning of a new strategic era” between Somaliland and Israel and said his visit demonstrated the potential of the new partnership.

The Somaliland president also said that for 35 years his country had asked world leaders to “see us,” and that Israel was the one that recognized it. Speaking for six million people, he said he was grateful to the Israeli government and people for that recognition.