Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar makes first official visit to Somaliland

Defence affairs - Def-Geopolitics

Gideon Saar, Israel's Foreign Minister, travelled to Somaliland on Tuesday on the first official visit since his country recognised the self-proclaimed republic last month.

Mr Saar arrived in the city of Hargeisa with a high-level delegation, Somaliland's Information Ministry said on X.

The visit aims to advance political and strategic co-operation between Israel and Somaliland and strengthen bilateral relations, Israeli media reported. Mr Saar will meet Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, and they are expected to hold a joint press conference at the presidential palace.

Israel last month became the first country to recognise Somaliland as an "independent and sovereign state” and sign an agreement to establish diplomatic ties.

Following the announcement on December 26, Mr Saar said 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.

Mr Abullahi hailed the move, saying it marked the beginning of a “strategic partnership”. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said he had invited the Somaliland leader to visit.

Several Arab states, as well as Turkey, Iran, Somalia and Djibouti, condemned Israel's acknowledgement.

A joint statement issued by their foreign ministers expressed unequivocal rejection of the official recognition, “given the serious repercussions of such an unprecedented measure on peace and security in the Horn of Africa, the Red Sea, and its serious effects on international peace and security as a whole, which also reflects Israel’s full and blatant disregard to international law”.

Attaining international recognition for Somaliland has been a priority for Mr Abdullahi since he took office in December 2024. The self-proclaimed republic on the Gulf of Aden has its own currency, passports and army. But since its unilateral declaration of independence in 1991, it has grappled with international isolation.

Lack of recognition has hampered the region's access to foreign loans, aid and investment, and it remains deeply impoverished.

Israel's recognition of Somaliland carries significant geopolitical implications, as it could entrench its presence closer to the heart of the Middle East, particularly near one of its main adversaries, the Iran-backed Houthi militia in Yemen.