While most nations and international organizations have strongly opposed Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, a de facto autonomous region of UN member state Somalia, the United States leapt to Israel’s defense.
The U.S. representative said that “Israel has the same right to conduct diplomatic relations as any other sovereign state.” Apparently this even includes conducting diplomatic relations with portions of a UN member state. Israel insisted that recognizing Somaliland is “neither provocative nor novel.” The representative claimed: “It is a lawful, principled acknowledgement of a long-established reality.”
Somaliland, located on the Gulf of Aden at the entrance to the Red Sea, is connected to the UAE, which has a military base in Somaliland and operates the port at Berbera. The UAE was one of the first countries to sign the Abraham Accords, recognizing Israel in 2020. And land-locked Ethiopia signed a memorandum of understanding with its neighbor Somaliland in early 2024 for access to the sea via the port at Berbera.
Does Israel itself plan to establish a military outpost in Somaliland?
A few months ago, it was reported that Israel had plans for dumping Palestinians in African countries and regions, including Somaliland.
