What is Somaliland — and why Israel’s recognition matters

For more than three decades, Somaliland has functioned like a country in all but name. That changed when Israel announced it was formally recognising Somaliland as a sovereign state — the first UN member to do so. The move has elevated Somaliland’s diplomatic profile but also triggered sharp regional pushback, underlining how geopolitics in the Horn of Africa are becoming increasingly entangled with West Asian rivalries.

What exactly is Somaliland?

Somaliland emerged in 1991 after the collapse of Somalia’s central government and years of civil war. It declared independence from Somalia, reclaiming the borders of the former British Somaliland protectorate.

Since then, it has operated as a de facto state. It has held elections, maintained relative internal stability, issued its own currency, and built local security institutions — in sharp contrast to the prolonged instability in much of southern Somalia. Despite this, no country had formally recognised it as sovereign until Israel’s announcement.

Geographically, Somaliland occupies Somalia’s north-western tip, bordering Djibouti and Ethiopia, and sitting close to key maritime chokepoints linking Africa, the Middle East and global trade routes.

Why international recognition has eluded it so far

Most countries have avoided recognising Somaliland out of concern that it would encourage separatist movements elsewhere in Africa and undermine the principle of inherited colonial borders. The African Union has consistently backed Somalia’s territorial integrity, even while acknowledging Somaliland’s relative success in governance.

For Somaliland, this lack of recognition has meant limited access to international finance, constrained trade links, and exclusion from global institutions — despite functioning independently for over 30 years.

Why Israel’s decision is geopolitically significant

For Somaliland, recognition by a UN member state strengthens its claim to sovereignty and could open the door for further diplomatic engagement, investment, and security cooperation.

For Israel, the move expands its strategic footprint in Africa, especially near the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden — one of the world’s busiest maritime corridors. Somaliland’s proximity to Yemen adds further strategic value, given Israel’s security concerns in the region.

The territory already hosts a military facility run by the United Arab Emirates at the port of Berbera, a base analysts say plays a key role in regional maritime and security operations.

How the Abraham Accords fit into the picture

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu framed the recognition as being “in the spirit” of the Abraham Accords. He has promised rapid cooperation with Somaliland in agriculture, health, technology and economic development, and invited Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi to visit Israel.

For Israel, this signals an effort to extend the logic of the Abraham Accords beyond the Middle East, linking diplomatic normalisation with strategic geography.

The regional backlash and why neighbours are alarmed

The announcement prompted swift opposition from countries wary of destabilising precedents. Egypt, along with Turkey and others, reaffirmed support for Somalia’s unity and warned that recognising breakaway regions threatens regional stability.

These concerns are not just legal but strategic. Somaliland sits at the intersection of rivalries involving Somalia, Ethiopia and Egypt, particularly over Red Sea access and influence in the Horn of Africa. Israel’s entry into this sensitive equation heightens anxieties about militarisation and external power competition.

What this could mean going forward

Israel’s recognition does not automatically secure Somaliland broader international acceptance, but it changes the conversation. Other states may now reassess their long-held reluctance, especially if strategic or economic incentives align.

At the same time, Somalia is likely to intensify diplomatic efforts to block further recognition, while regional powers weigh how this development affects their own interests in one of the world’s most geopolitically volatile corridors.

For Somaliland, the moment marks a long-sought breakthrough — but one that comes with heightened scrutiny and new geopolitical risks.