President says his country wants to join Abraham Accords; move sparks anger among regional powers who say it undermines sovereignty and territorial integrity of Somalia
Israel on Friday became the first country to recognize the Republic of Somaliland as an independent state, more than three decades after the African region broke away from Somalia, with the Muslim nation saying it aspired to join the Abraham Accords.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar signed the declaration for Israel, while Somaliland’s President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi signed for his country, which sits in a key strategic region in the Horn of Africa.
While no other countries have formally recognized it, several states — including the UK, Ethiopia, Turkey, the UAE, Denmark, Kenya and Taiwan — maintained liaison offices, and the Trump administration has signaled in recent months that it could change its stance on the breakaway region. However, the Friday announcement sparked anger among several regional powers who accused Israel of undermining the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Somalia.
independent state, December 26, 2025. (Amos Ben Gershom/GPO)
Israel on Friday became the first country to recognize the Republic of Somaliland as an independent state, more than three decades after the African region broke away from Somalia, with the Muslim nation saying it aspired to join the Abraham Accords.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar signed the declaration for Israel, while Somaliland’s President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi signed for his country, which sits in a key strategic region in the Horn of Africa.
While no other countries have formally recognized it, several states — including the UK, Ethiopia, Turkey, the UAE, Denmark, Kenya and Taiwan — maintained liaison offices, and the Trump administration has signaled in recent months that it could change its stance on the breakaway region. However, the Friday announcement sparked anger among several regional powers who accused Israel of undermining the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Somalia.
Speaking to Abdullahi by phone, Netanyahu said the friendship between the countries was “seminal and historic.”
“We intend to work together with you on economic fields, on agriculture, in the fields of social development,” Netanyahu said.
Netanyahu invited Abdullahi for an official visit to Israel. Abdullahi said he will come “as soon as possible,” according to the Israel statement.”
Netanyahu’s office also released a video showing him speaking to Abdullahi by telephone.
“I want you to know that I am signing now as we speak Israel’s official recognition of the Somaliland,” Netanyahu tells Abdullahi, adding that the new relationship would offer economic opportunities.
“I am very, very happy and I am very proud of this day and I want to wish you and the people of Somaliland the very, very best,” he said.
Netanyahu said the declaration “is in the spirit of the Abraham Accords, signed at the initiative of [US] President [Donald] Trump.”
The 2020 accords were brokered by Trump’s first administration and included Israel formalizing diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, with other countries, including Morocco, joining later.
The agreement with Morocco was followed by Israel recognizing Rabat’s sovereignty over the contested Western Sahara region.
Netanyahu, Sa’ar and Somaliland’s president signed a joint declaration of mutual recognition, the Israeli statement said.
Abdullahi said in a separate statement that Somaliland would join the Abraham Accords, calling it a step toward regional and global peace. He said Somaliland was committed to building partnerships, boosting mutual prosperity and promoting stability across the Middle East and Africa.
Somaliland, a Sunni Muslim country, enjoyed five days of independence in 1960, during which time it was recognized by Israel and 34 other countries before uniting with Somalia. Somaliland formally broke away in 1991 as Somalia disintegrated into anarchy.
Somaliland is located along most of Somalia’s Red Sea coastline and has effectively acted as an independent country during Somalia’s decades-long and ongoing civil war, and is in many respects a more stable and functioning state than Somalia itself, with a history of peaceful, democratic transitions of power.
For decades, Somaliland pushed for international recognition, and it was the key priority for Abdullahi since he took office last year.
Its lack of international recognition has hampered access to foreign loans, aid and investment, and the region remains deeply impoverished.
Channel 12 reported that Abdullahi made a secret visit to Israel in October, meeting with Netanyahu, Mossad chief David Barnea and Defense Minister Israel Katz.
The network said that ties between the two governments emerged as Israel searched for countries willing to take in Gazans it was looking to move out of the Strip during the war — an effort that seems to have failed due to overwhelming international backlash against the idea of displacing Gazans.
Beyond a potential home for Gazans, a central Israeli motivation for deepening ties with Somaliland’s is the latter region’s proximity to Yemen. Access to Somaliland’s territory and airspace would make it easier for Israel to conduct strikes and surveil the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
In Netanyahu’s statement announcing the move, he thanked Sa’ar, Mossad Director David Barnea and the Mossad for their contribution in advancing recognition between the two countries, and “wishes the people of Somaliland success, prosperity and freedom,” said his office.
