Israel has officially recognized the independence of Somaliland. What does this mean?
Israel became the first State to officially recognize the independence of the self-proclaimed Republic of Somaliland. African countries have already condemned this step, and the United States has stated that it does not yet see the need to recognize the country. Why Israel took this step and what consequences the recognition of Somaliland as an independent state will entail is in the Izvestia article.
Why would Israel do that
• Israel wants to cooperate with Somaliland in the economy, agriculture, healthcare and technology. The declaration recognizing the self-proclaimed Republic of Somaliland as an independent and sovereign State was signed on December 26. The establishment of diplomatic relations means that an Israeli embassy will appear in the unrecognized republic, and the Embassy of Somaliland will open in Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has promised to inform US President Donald Trump about Somaliland's intention to join the Abraham Accords.
The Abraham Accords, named after the prophet common to Judaism, Christianity and Islam, were concluded between Israel and the Arab states in 2020-2021 thanks to the efforts of the first administration of US President Donald Trump. They were designed to normalize relations between the countries and strengthen regional security against the background of threats posed by Iran.
Israel may be interested in Somaliland due to geopolitical considerations: the unrecognized republic is located opposite South Yemen and at the entrance to the Gulf of Aden, connecting the Red Sea with the Indian Ocean. Thus, Israel would have the opportunity to collect intelligence and conduct operations against the Yemeni Houthis, as well as control an important sea route through which oil from the Persian Gulf is transported to Europe.
• Somaliland is one of the territories where Palestinians from the Gaza Strip can be resettled. Israel does not hide that it expects to displace the indigenous population from this territory, and is trying to involve the United States in the implementation of this plan. Negotiations on the potential displacement of Palestinians were conducted with several States, including the unrecognized Republic of Somaliland. It was this discussion that became the basis for contacts between Tel Aviv and Hargeisa in October, which later developed into strategic cooperation. At the same time, Somaliland residents did not support the idea of Palestinian displacement.
What is Somaliland?
• Somaliland is considered the legal successor of British Somalia, which gained independence under that name in June 1960. At that time, 35 countries, including Israel and the USSR, recognized the formation of a new state. On July 1, 1960, British and Italian Somaliland merged into the Somali Republic. The emergence of the Somali National Movement on the territory of the former British colony in 1981 caused the civil war in the republic and the overthrow of the regime.
• Somaliland unilaterally declared independence within the borders of the former British colony on May 18, 1991. The self-proclaimed Republic of Somaliland, with its capital in Hargeisa, remained unrecognized in the international arena for more than 34 years. There is a border conflict between Somaliland and the neighboring autonomous region of Puntland, also inhabited by ethnic Somalis, over areas where oil deposits have been discovered.
Reactions from other countries
• The countries of the African Union, as well as Somalia, Egypt, Turkey and Djibouti, condemned Israel's recognition of the self-proclaimed republic as a threat to international peace and security, advocating the preservation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia. Saudi Arabia also condemned Israel's controversial diplomatic gesture.
• The United States refrained from recognizing Somaliland immediately. US President Donald Trump intends to study Israel's arguments before making such a decision, despite the self-proclaimed state's proposal to join the Abraham agreements and provide the United States with territory to host an American naval base near the mouth of the Red Sea.
What does this mean?
• Israel has set a dangerous precedent that could provoke a wave of separatism across the continent. Most African countries are former European colonies, and their borders were determined without taking into account the ethnic composition of the population and the historical affiliation of the territory, and therefore many African states remain interested in changing borders.
• This is a risky step for Tel Aviv, as Israeli officials have already stated. The recognition of the independence of the separatist region took place against the background of Israel's denial of the statehood of Palestine, whose sovereignty was recognized by 157 countries out of 193 UN member states. There is also a reputational risk: Israel's actions have already caused a negative reaction in Muslim countries and may complicate the expansion of Abraham's agreements to other states.
• Israel has actually framed the United States, which is an ally of Somalia in the fight against the jihadist group Al-Shabab (banned in Russia) and provides military assistance to the country. Recognition of Somaliland's independence could undermine this cooperation and lead to increased jihadism and division within Somalia, where there are two other potentially separatist regions. Also, for the United States, which has concluded a number of lucrative deals with Arab states, the position of these countries is important, which are mostly in favor of the territorial integrity of Somalia.
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