Why Israel’s Somaliland recognition has alarmed UN and African states
Israel has become the first country to formally recognise Somaliland as an independent state, and this decision has triggered strong reactions from the United Nations, African governments and regional actors, who warn the move could destabilise the Horn of Africa and undermine Somalia’s sovereignty.
Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 after the collapse of the central government. Although it has its own currency, army and political institutions, it has remained diplomatically isolated for more than three decades, with Somalia continuing to regard it as part of its sovereign territory.
The decision triggered what local media described as the largest protests in Mogadishu in recent years, with demonstrators burning Israeli flags and accusing Israel of attempting to divide the country.
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud addressed an emergency parliamentary session, calling Israel’s recognition of Somaliland “a blunt aggression” against Somalia’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity. He warned that the move threatened not only Somalia but the stability of the wider region, local news Hiiraan reports.
Regional security fears
The issue has quickly taken on a regional dimension as Yemen’s Houthi leader, Abdulmalik al-Houthi, warned that any Israeli military presence in Somaliland would be considered a legitimate military target, describing it as a threat to Somalia, Yemen and Red Sea security.
Further, there are concerns over Somaliland’s strategic location along the Gulf of Aden, which is a vital global shipping route. This has raised fears that the dispute could spiral beyond diplomacy into a regional confrontation.
Palestinian response
Palestinian State has also condemned Israel’s move, rejecting any suggestion that Somaliland could be linked to proposals to relocate Palestinians from Gaza. They said neither Palestinian self-determination nor Somali sovereignty could be used as bargaining chips, accusing Israel of exporting instability into the Horn of Africa. “Neither the future of the Palestinian people nor the territorial sovereignty of Somalia can be used as a bargaining chip…Unequivocally rejects any steps aimed at advancing this objective, including any attempt by Israel to relocate the Palestinian population from Gaza into Northwestern Somalia…Will neither accept nor condone the illegal use of any territory, let alone that of a sovereign State which is a Member of the United Nations, to deny the right to self-determination to a people who have been subjected to crimes against humanity for many years…,” a post on the official Palestinian State account on X read in part.
United Nations reaction
At an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council in New York, 14 of the council’s 15 members criticised Israel’s decision, warning it could destabilise Somalia and set a dangerous precedent.
Somalia’s ambassador to the UN urged the council to reject what he called an act of external interference, saying the recognition risked undermining peace in the Horn of Africa. The United States was the only council member that did not condemn the move, although it said its own policy on Somaliland remains unchanged.
African states push back
Several African governments have also spoken out against the decision by Israel. South Africa warned that Israel’s recognition of Somaliland posed a “direct threat” to peace in the Horn of Africa and violated Somalia’s territorial integrity.
Pretoria stressed the African Union’s long-standing principle of uti possidetis, which upholds borders inherited at independence to prevent conflict, and cautioned that recognising breakaway regions could encourage instability and embolden secessionist movements on the continent.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
