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Netanyahu for, Trump against: Why are nations divided over recognizing Somaliland
Israel's move to recognizing Somaliland did not sit well with several nations across the world, including Israel's staunchest ally United States.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was the first to recognise Somaliland as an “independent and sovereign state”, decades after the region has been vying for the recognition since 1991 when it unilaterally seceded from Somalia.
The territory is located in the Horn of Africa, in the northwestern part of Somalia, sharing coastline with the Gulf of Aden and bordering Djibouti.
“I congratulated the President of Somaliland, Dr. Abdirahman Mohamed Abdallah, and praised his leadership and commitment to promoting stability and peace. I invited the President to pay an official visit to Israel,” Netanyahu wrote in a post on X.
However, his move did not sit well with several nations across the world, including Israel's staunchest ally United States.
‘Just say, No’
United States President Donald Trump, when asked about whether he would follow Israel into recognizing Somaliland as a sovereign state, did not sound enthusiastic about the idea and said that he has to “study” his Israel’s pitch on behalf of Somaliland.
“Just say, ‘No,” said Trump while speaking to the New York Post about whether US is going to recognise Somaliland.
“Does anyone know what Somaliland is, really?" he added.
“We’ll study it. I study a lot of things and always make great decisions and they turn out to be correct," the US President asked when questioned about Somaliland’s offer of a port on Gulf of Aden to the US.
Trump's remarks came after Netanyahu assured Somaliland that he would communicate its willingness to join Abraham Accords to the US President. Trump and Netanyahu are slated to meet on Monday.
African, middle-east nations unhappy
Apart from its long standing ally, Netanyahu's move to recognise Somaliland also drew flak from the African Union, Somalia, and several countries in the middle east.
The African Union rejected Netanyahu's move and warned of its risk of "setting a dangerous precedent with far-reaching implications for peace and stability across the continent".
AU's head Mahamoud Ali Youssouf called Somaliland an "integral part" of Somalia".
Netanyahu's recognition was also rejected by the Palestinian Authority, which said that earlier, Israel had described Somaliland "as a destination for the forced displacement of our Palestinian people, particularly from the Gaza Strip".
Turkey, which is an ally of Somalia, also condemned the move and called it "overt interference in Somalia's domestic affairs".
Somaliland, which broke away from Somalia in 1991, functions with its own army, money and police, however, it does not enjoy the global recognition of being an independent and sovereign state despite its crucial location on the trade route connecting the Indian Ocean to the Suez Canal. Because of this political and economic isolation, it still can't access foreign loans, aid and investment.
While Israel's recognition of Somaliland may comes “in the spirit of the Abraham Accords” in a move to seek more allies in the middle-east, Somalia's allies do not share the same sentiment as of now.
(With inputs from wires)
