Israeli foreign minister’s visit to Somaliland sparks diplomatic outrage

Israel's foreign minister has arrived in Somaliland, escalating the diplomatic backlash sparked by the regime’s unilateral decision to recognize the breakaway region as an independent state, overriding broad international opposition.

Gideon Saar landed in Somaliland on Tuesday, becoming the first senior Israeli official to visit the territory after Israel moved ahead with the widely condemned recognition.

He was scheduled to meet Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, the region’s most senior official, with online footage showing the two appearing together shortly after the arrival.

The visit immediately prompted a strong response from Mogadishu. Somalia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs described Saar’s presence as an “unauthorized incursion” into Somali territory.

The ministry said any official engagement carried out without the consent of the federal government was “illegal, null, and void.”

Israel’s move has also intensified diplomatic pressure within Africa. The African Union convened an emergency ministerial meeting on Tuesday to address the "recognition." The session was added outside the Peace and Security Council’s original January agenda after multiple member states raised objections.

During the meeting, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Ahmed Mohamed Abdelatty said Israel’s action amounted to “a blatant violation” of Somalia’s sovereignty and warned it opened the door to destabilizing precedents across the continent.

Israel’s recognition of Somaliland 'naked invasion’ of Somalia's sovereignty: President

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud says Israel has committed the “greatest abuse” of Somalia’s sovereignty in the nation’s history.

Israel granted "recognition" to Somaliland on December 26, 2025. Abdullahi said he expected the international community to follow Israel’s lead and extend recognition.

In Washington, US Senator Rafael Edward Cruz of Texas, a vocal supporter of Israel and Somaliland, has pressed President Donald Trump to recognize the region, describing the issue as a strategic step that “aligns with America’s security interests.” Trump, however, appeared dismissive when asked recently, saying only that the issue was under review.

Opposition to Israel’s decision has been swift and broad. More than 50 countries, including China, Iran, and Russia, have condemned the move.

In Somalia, tens of thousands of people marched in late December, denouncing Israel’s intervention and calling for national unity.

Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said on Wednesday that Somaliland accepted three Israeli conditions in return for recognition: resettling Palestinians from Gaza, effectively facilitating ethnic cleansing; hosting an Israeli military base; and joining Trump’s Abraham Accords, under which a small number of countries have normalized relations with Israel.

Somaliland broke away from Somalia in 1991, but the federal government in Mogadishu continues to regard the territory as an inseparable part of the country. The Zionist regime is the only entity to have recognized Somaliland as a "sovereign state."

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