Israeli FM visits Somaliland to boost bilateral ties

NAIROBI/JERUSALEM - Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar visited Somaliland, the breakaway region of Somalia, on Tuesday, two sources told Reuters, 10 days after Israel formally recognised the self-declared Republic of Somaliland as an independent state.

One of the sources, a senior Somaliland official, said Saar would meet Somaliland's President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi to discuss ways to enhance bilateral ties. The second source confirmed the Israeli minister's presence in Somaliland.

The Israeli foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether Saar was in Somaliland.

Israel formally recognised Somaliland as a sovereign state on December 27, a move that drew criticism from Somalia, which has long opposed Somaliland's efforts to secede. No other country has formally recognised Somaliland.

At the time, Abdullahi said Somaliland would join the Abraham Accords, a deal brokered by the Trump administration in 2020 that saw Gulf states the United Arab Emirates - a close partner of Somaliland - and Bahrain establish ties with Israel.

Somaliland, once a British protectorate, has for decades sought formal recognition as an independent state, though it has signed bilateral agreements with various foreign governments on investments and security coordination.

The territory lies in northwestern Somalia along the strategic Gulf of Aden and shares land borders with Ethiopia and Djibouti.

Israel's decision to recognise Somaliland follows two years of increasingly strained ties with many of its closest partners over the war in Gaza and policies in the West Bank.

STRATEGIC LOCATION

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel would pursue cooperation with Somaliland in agriculture, health, technology, and the economy, and has invited Somaliland's president to visit Israel.

Somaliland sits across the Gulf of Aden from Yemen, where Iran-backed Houthis have launched long-range missile and drone attacks on Israel since October 2023, coinciding with the Gaza war.

Somaliland has denied that the recognition agreement allows for Israel to establish military bases there, or for the resettlement of Palestinians from Gaza. Israel's government has advocated for what officials describe as voluntary Palestinian migration from Gaza.