Somalia’s Foreign Ministry has strongly condemned a visit by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar to Hargeisa, calling it a serious violation of Somalia’s territorial sovereignty and international law. The trip marked Sa’ar’s first official visit since Israel formally recognized Somaliland as a sovereign state in late December. In a statement, Somalia accused Israel of unacceptable interference in the internal affairs of a United Nations member state, warning that the move breaches the UN Charter, the African Union’s Constitutive Act, and long-standing international norms governing state sovereignty.
During the visit, Sa’ar met Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi and held a joint press conference at the presidential palace, signaling a deepening of diplomatic ties between Israel and the self-declared republic. Somaliland has operated as a de facto independent state since 1991 but is not internationally recognized by the UN or the African Union.
Israel’s recognition of Somaliland on December 26 represents a major diplomatic shift in the Horn of Africa and has drawn sharp criticism from Mogadishu. The African Union has since convened an emergency ministerial meeting to discuss the implications of the decision amid growing regional opposition. Somalia insists that Somaliland remains an integral part of its territory and has vowed to pursue diplomatic and legal avenues to challenge what it views as a precedent that threatens regional stability.
