By Mohamed Abdi - Reporter
Somalia, 6 January 2026 Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar delivered a blunt message from Hargeisa: the world does not get a vote on Israeli diplomacy — not Somalia, not the Arab League, and not the African Union.
Sa’ar on Tuesday conducted Israel’s first official diplomatic visit to Somaliland, declaring from the breakaway region’s capital that “only Israel will decide whom it recognizes and with whom it maintains diplomatic relations.”
The visit marks a significant escalation in ties between Israel and Somaliland, which declared independence from Somalia in 1991 but remains unrecognized by any UN member state.
Sa’ar held talks with Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi (Irro) and senior government officials on what he described as “the full range of our relations.”
“We are determined to vigorously advance relations between Israel and Somaliland,” Sa’ar said following the meetings, announcing that the two sides are moving toward the establishment of formal diplomatic relations.
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Mogadishu has received backing from the Arab League and the African Union, both of which reject Somaliland’s independence claims. Sa’ar addressed those concerns directly.
“The mutual recognition and establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries are not directed against anyone,” he said. “Our shared objective is to promote the mutual benefit of both nations and countries.”
Sa’ar also announced that President Abdullahi has accepted an invitation from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to make an official visit to Israel, a trip that would mark the first visit by a Somaliland head of state to the country.
The diplomatic breakthrough comes as Israel seeks to expand its presence in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea region, where Somaliland’s Berbera Port serves as a strategic maritime gateway. The move has reportedly angered Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, three key allies of Somalia.
Turkey, Somalia’s closest ally, has invested heavily in Mogadishu and maintains a significant military presence in the country. Ankara has not yet issued a public response to Sa’ar’s visit.
