Somaliland has robustly defended its newly established diplomatic relations with Israel, brushing aside fierce criticism from Somalia and the wider Arab and Muslim world as the breakaway region pursues long-elusive international recognition.
In a combative television interview on Wednesday, Hersi Ali Haji Hassan, chairman of Somaliland’s ruling Waddani party, insisted the territory had little choice but to accept Israel’s historic recognition, granted on 26 December 2025 — the first by any United Nations member state.
“We are not in a position to choose,” Hassan told Al Jazeera Mubasher. “We are in a state of necessity for official international recognition. There is no choice before us but to welcome any country that recognises our existential right.”
Historic visit sparks firestorm
The remarks came days after Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar made a landmark visit to Hargeisa on 6 January, meeting President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi and pledging to advance ties, including cooperation on security and the swift opening of embassies.
Israel’s move has ignited a diplomatic storm in the Horn of Africa, a strategically vital region overlooking key shipping lanes in the Gulf of Aden and the southern entrance to the Red Sea.
Somalia’s federal government in Mogadishu swiftly condemned the recognition as a flagrant assault on its sovereignty and territorial integrity, demanding Israel withdraw it immediately. Somali officials have alleged the deal involves secret agreements, including potential Israeli military facilities in Somaliland — claims vigorously denied by Hargeisa.
Somaliland officials have repeatedly rejected suggestions of any quid pro quo involving military bases, insisting the relationship is purely diplomatic and economic, aimed at ending decades of isolation.
Yet regional anxieties persist over a possible Israeli military foothold. When pressed repeatedly in the Al Jazeera interview on whether Somaliland would host an Israeli base, Hassan demurred: “This topic has not been touched upon now… Ask the question when the time comes.” He emphasised that current ties focus on legitimacy and development.
Regional and international rebuke
The controversy has drawn sharp rebukes from pan-Arab and Islamic bodies. The Arab League condemned Saar’s visit as undermining regional peace, while the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation called an emergency ministerial meeting to reaffirm support for Somalia’s unity. Several countries, including Turkey and Qatar, have joined in rejecting the recognition as a violation of international law.
Hassan dismissed the outrage as hypocritical, pointing out that several Arab states — including Egypt, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates — maintain extensive political and economic relations with Israel under the Abraham Accords framework.
“We have been an independent state for 34 years,” he said. “The rejection of the Arab League does not matter to us at all.”
Somaliland declared independence in 1991, reclaiming the sovereignty it briefly held as British Somaliland before uniting with Italian Somalia in 1960. Despite building stable democratic institutions, its own currency and armed forces, it has remained unrecognised internationally, largely due to African Union reluctance to endorse secession.
The Israeli breakthrough marks a rare diplomatic win for Hargeisa. During Saar’s visit, both sides highlighted potential collaboration in security — a sensitive issue amid ongoing regional rivalries.
Political, not religious ties
The interview turned heated when the host challenged Hassan over ties with Israel amid accusations of genocide in Gaza. Hassan described the relationship as “political, not religious,” aligning Somaliland’s stance on Palestinians with that of other Muslim nations.
“We are far from these problems,” he said. “We are looking for international recognition… That is the key.”
As Somaliland basks in its first formal recognition, the episode underscores the high stakes of its diplomatic gamble — trading regional isolation for a controversial alliance in pursuit of a seat at the global table.
