Somaliland President Visits Israel, Set to Inaugurate Embassy in Jerusalem

Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi arrived in Israel on Sunday for his first official visit since the region was recognised as a sovereign state by Israel at the end of 2025. According to Israeli media reports, Abdullahi is scheduled to inaugurate the Somaliland embassy in Jerusalem on Monday, marking a new chapter in diplomatic relations between the two parties. Israeli President Isaac Herzog posted a photo of his meeting with Abdullahi on platform X and extended an official welcome to the Somaliland leader. “Welcome to Israel, President of Somaliland,” Herzog wrote. He assessed that the visit holds significant meaning for the developing bilateral relations. “This historic visit reflects the great potential of the new partnership between our two countries,” Herzog stated. In addition to meeting Herzog, Abdullahi is also scheduled to hold talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar during the two-day visit. The trip comes months after Israel formally recognised Somaliland as an independent state in December 2025, a decision that sparked criticism and condemnation from various parties, particularly the Somali government. Somaliland proclaimed its independence from Somalia in 1991 following the collapse of the central government in Mogadishu. However, the region has yet to gain widespread international recognition. Despite lacking formal recognition from most countries, Somaliland has operated as a separate political, administrative, and security entity from Somalia for over three decades. The Somali government continues to reject Somaliland’s independence and considers the territory an inseparable part of Somalia’s national sovereignty. Mogadishu also views any direct cooperation or diplomatic relations with Somaliland as a violation of Somalia’s territorial integrity and unity. The opening of the Somaliland embassy in Jerusalem is expected to further solidify bilateral relations with Israel while potentially triggering new diplomatic tensions in the Horn of Africa region.