Israel announces recognition of Somaliland as 'sovereign state'

Israel on Friday formally recognised Somaliland as an "independent and sovereign state" and signed an agreement to establish diplomatic ties between the two countries, the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.

"The prime minister announced today the official recognition of the Republic of Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state," his office said, making Israel the first country to officially recognise Somaliland as a country.

"The declaration is in the spirit of the Abraham Accords," Netanyahu's office said, referring to several agreements between Israel and Arab countries brokered by US President Donald Trump during his first presidency, which was condemned unanimously by Palestinians and much of the Arab world, and described as a "betrayal" of the Palestinian cause.

The president of Somaliland, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, hailed the recognition move, saying it marked the beginning of a "strategic partnership".

"This is a historic moment as we warmly welcome... the Prime Minister of the State of Israel's recognition of the Republic of Somaliland and affirm Somaliland's readiness to join the Abraham Accords," normalising relations with Israel, he posted on X.

The breakaway region of Somaliland, which declared independence in 1991, has for decades pushed for international recognition, the key priority for Abdullahi since he took office last year.

In a separate statement, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar announced the two countries had agreed to establish "full diplomatic ties, which will include the appointment of ambassadors and the opening of embassies".

"I have instructed my ministry to act immediately to institutionalise ties between the two countries across a wide range of fields," he said on X.

Netanyahu's office said the prime minister had invited Abdullah to visit Israel.

"The president thanked Prime Minister Netanyahu for his historic declaration," the statement said.

In March, both Somalia and Somaliland also denied receiving any proposal from the United States or Israel to resettle Palestinians from Gaza, with Mogadishu saying it categorically rejected any such move.

Meanwhile, the foreign ministers of Somalia, Egypt, Turkey and Djibouti condemned Israel's recognition of Somaliland, Cairo said on Friday.

"The ministers affirmed their total rejection and condemnation of Israel's recognition of the Somaliland region, stressing their full support for the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Somalia," Egypt's foreign ministry said in a statement following a phone call between Egypt's foreign minister and his Somali, Turkish and Djiboutian counterparts.