Somaliland Leader Says Israel Was First to Respond to Plea for Recognition

On May 17, 2025, Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi said he sent letters to the leaders of all 193 UN member states asking for formal recognition of Somaliland’s independence. In an interview with Amir Tibon for The Jerusalem Post, he said, “Only one replied”, identifying that response as from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “After that we reached the conclusion that Israel would recognize Somaliland,” Abdullahi said.

Somaliland, a self-governing territory in the Horn of Africa with about 6 million residents, declared independence from Somalia in 1991 after the collapse of the Somali central government, but most of the world has not recognized it. That changed on December 26, 2025, when Netanyahu announced that Israel would officially recognize Somaliland, making Israel the first UN member state to do so. Abdullahi visited Israel this week on the first official visit by a Somaliland president since the recognition, though he said he had also come discreetly in October 2025 to explore ways to secure recognition.

During the visit, Abdullahi met Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, who had advanced behind-the-scenes contacts between the two sides. He said Somaliland wants broader cooperation with Israel in economic development, natural resources, agriculture, water management, and security. He also said reports about a possible Israeli military presence in Somaliland, near the Bab el-Mandeb strait and the entrance to the Red Sea route to Eilat, had not been discussed, though he did not rule it out for the future.

Israeli officials say practical cooperation already exists, especially in water management. Einat Shlein of Israel’s foreign ministry said 25 Somaliland water engineers had traveled to Israel for a national training program before the war with Iran, and that Somaliland had also asked for health assistance. Israel has helped bring children for heart treatment through Save a Child’s Heart, and 58 children from Somaliland have received life-saving treatment in Israel so far. Abdullahi also met Israeli business leaders and investors, with attendance capped at 200 companies, and said Somaliland can offer minerals, natural gas, oil, fishing, and livestock. He acknowledged criticism from some countries, especially in the Arab world, but said more states would eventually follow Israel’s lead.