Overview
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar and Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi signed a declaration to open full diplomatic relations.
- Israel said it will pursue immediate cooperation with Somaliland in agriculture, health, technology and the economy, and invited President Abdullahi to visit.
- Somalia condemned the move as a deliberate attack on its sovereignty, and the African Union warned of a dangerous precedent while reaffirming that Somaliland remains part of Somalia.
- Turkey, Egypt and Djibouti criticized the decision, with Ankara calling it interference in Somalia’s internal affairs.
- Haaretz and the Associated Press previously reported months of secret outreach by Israel and the U.S. to East African governments, including inquiries about possible Palestinian resettlement in territories such as Somaliland.