Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel intended to immediately expand cooperation in agriculture, health, and technology. Somaliland’s President, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, has described the development as a historic moment. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, in a statement said, the two countries have agreed to establish full diplomatic ties, which will include the appointment of ambassadors and the opening of embassies.
Reacting to the development, Somalia’s Prime Minister, Hamza Abdi Barre said, his country categorically and unequivocally rejected what he called a deliberate attack by Israel on its sovereignty. Meanwhile, Egypt’s Foreign Minister held separate phone calls with his counterparts from Somalia, Turkiye and Djibouti to discuss issues including Israel’s declaration. The foreign ministers have strongly condemned the decision and rejected Israel’s announcement.
Egypt’s foreign Ministry in a statement said, the four countries reaffirmed their support for Somalia’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity and warned against unilateral steps that could undermine stability or create what they called parallel entities to Somalia’s state institutions. They also argued that recognising the independence of parts of sovereign states would set a dangerous precedent under international law and the United Nations Charter.
Somaliland has a strategic position on the Gulf of Aden and has its own money, passports and police force. Born in 1991 after a war of independence against former dictator General Siad Barre, it has grappled with decades of isolation ever since. With a population of almost six million, the self-proclaimed republic has recently been at the centre of several regional disputes involving Somalia, Ethiopia and Egypt.
