Issue Brief on “Israel’s Recognition of Somaliland and Its Implications for Somalia, Africa, and...

Israel's unilateral recognition of the self-declared "Republic of Somaliland" on December 26, 2025, constitutes a serious departure from the established international consensus on Somalia's sovereignty, unity, political independence, and territorial integrity. Announced more than three decades after Somaliland's unilateral declaration of independence in 1991, the move has triggered widespread diplomatic backlash across Africa, the Middle East, and major global capitals. Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has described the decision as "unexpected and strange," warning that it threatens regional stability and risks transferring Middle Eastern conflicts into the Horn of Africa.[1]

Somalia's position has been strongly endorsed by international and regional organisations, including the United Nations, African Union, League of Arab States, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, European Union, and the Gulf Cooperation Council, all of which reaffirmed Somalia's territorial integrity.[2] The matter was elevated to the UN Security Council under the agenda item "Threats to International Peace and Security," underscoring concerns that unilateral recognition of a separatist entity could undermine international legal norms and regional peace.

Read More