Overview
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, and President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi signed a joint declaration on December 26 that grants mutual recognition and sets up ambassadors and embassies.
- Israel said collaboration will begin immediately in agriculture, health, technology, and the economy, and Netanyahu invited Abdullahi to make an official visit.
- Somaliland’s leadership welcomed the move and stated an intention to accede to the Abraham Accords.
- Egypt said its foreign minister conferred with counterparts from Somalia, Turkey, and Djibouti, and the ministers condemned the recognition and reaffirmed Somalia’s territorial integrity.
- Somaliland, which declared independence in 1991 and has operated with de facto autonomy, had not previously been recognized by any UN member, and some coverage noted earlier reports of resettlement talks that Somali and Somaliland officials had denied.