Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar recently announced that Israel signed an agreement recognizing the breakaway state of Somaliland in Africa as a sovereign nation. This makes Israel the only country to recognize Somaliland since it declared independence from Somalia 34 years ago.
This recognition may be seen as a historic moment for Somaliland, which declared its independence in 1991, but for the UN Security Council, it took Israel to task, with several member states of the 15-member body saying this move by the Occupying State may have serious implications for Palestinians in Gaza.
The U.S. was the lone member of the 15-member UNSC not to condemn Israel’s recognition at the emergency meeting in response to Israel’s announcement.
The opening of a new diplomatic office by Israel on the continent of Africa may be a misplaced strategic move intended to distract or to create a narrative of global engagement. “In reality, it exposes a (Zionist) regime grasping for legitimacy, while deepening its entanglement in war and controversy,” noted the Arab News.
The most explosive allegation and concern about Israel’s recognition of Somaliland concerns the fate of Palestinians from Gaza. “Reports earlier in the (last) year suggested Israel had contacted Somaliland about the potential resettlement of Palestinians forcibly removed from Gaza.
Israel declined to comment, while Somaliland insisted recognition would have ‘nothing to do with the Palestinian issue,’” reported allafrica.com.
According to reporting, by Al Jazeera and other media outlets, “Somaliland has rejected the accusations that it agreed to host Israeli military facilities and resettle displaced Palestinians from Gaza in exchange for recognition by Israel.” However, others are not so sure.
Hassan Mohamed Mohamud, the Mogadishu-based journalist, argues that the issue cannot be dismissed lightly. Israel’s government officials have publicly announced they seek countries that will accept relocated Palestinians from Gaza, duplicitously calling it a “voluntary migration plan.”
Throughout the ongoing genocide against the Palestinians, Israel has been found being a dishonest broker for peace.
What else can one expect when Miki Zohar, Israel’s Minister of Culture and Sports, and a member of the ruling Likud party, in responding to a question about Gaza, stated that “Gaza belongs to Israel, and that the roughly 2.3 million Palestinians in the enclave are ‘guests’ whom Israel is merely allowing to live there for now,” The Times of Israel reported.
Analysts warn that recognition of Somaliland could bring about more unrest in the region, bolstering groups such as Al Shabab and complicating relations with major regional players like Egypt, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the African Union.
Hani Hazaimeh, a senior editor of Arab News based in Amman, called the move to recognize Somaliland “not diplomacy, but engineered demography.”
“Even without this alleged linkage to Gaza, the timing—during the most catastrophic period of the war in Gaza in decades—speaks volumes. At a moment when the world debate should be focused on stopping the bloodshed and ensuring the rights and safety of civilians, Netanyahu chooses to open a diplomatic front that is likely to inflame tensions across the Horn of Africa and the Middle East.
The recognition has already drawn condemnation from Somalia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Türkiye, and other key actors who warn that it sets a dangerous precedent for secessionist movements elsewhere,” Hazaimeh wrote in an op-ed article on Jan. 3 titled, “Netanyahu’s recognition of Somaliland is a sinister diversion.”
Ori Goldberg is a Ph.D. in Middle Eastern studies and shared his perspective in an article published on Al Jazeera. He pointed out that the U.S., Germany, and the UK continue to purchase Israeli arms at a massive rate and to also equip Israel with arms of their own.
“How is it possible to reach a conclusion that the Israeli genocide is reaching its endgame?” he wrote.
“The short answer,” he adds, “is that it is not. Israel continues to kill, destroy, subvert and expand its efforts to destabilize any semblance of regional order.”
Using statehood for Somaliland as an example he further explained that, “Israel recognized the statehood of Somaliland in order to have a ‘dumping ground’ for ethnically cleansed Palestinians.
But also to pit the United Arab Emirates (UAE) against Saudi Arabia, as both have conflicting interests in Somalia, and, by doing so, ensure that the Palestinian question is not addressed and that everyone remains frozen by fear of Israeli weapons.”
Establishing a foothold in Somaliland allows Israel to establish influence in an extremely strategic location along the Red Sea. “In doing so, Israel would gain a foothold in one of the world’s most critical corridors for global trade.
While also acquiring a potential forward platform from which it could conduct intelligence activities, most likely directed against the Houthis in Yemen,’’ noted trtworld.com, a Turkish state-owned, English-language international news channel.
The African Union (AU) said it “firmly rejects” Israel’s move and warned: “Any attempt to undermine the unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Somalia … risks setting a dangerous precedent with far-reaching implications for peace and stability across the continent,” reported the London-based Guardian.
In a statement on the AU website, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, also rejected Somaliland as an independent entity, stating that “Somaliland remains an integral part of the Federal Republic of Somalia.”
He added, “Any attempt to undermine the unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Somalia runs counter to the fundamental principles of the African Union and risks setting a dangerous precedent with far-reaching implications for peace and stability across the continent.”
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