Israeli official visits Somaliland after region denies Gazan resettlement plan

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar reportedly visited Somaliland, the breakaway region of Somalia, on Tuesday, according to two sources.

The visit occurred just ten days after Israel formally recognised the self-declared Republic of Somaliland as an independent state, a move that drew criticism from Somalia.

A senior Somaliland official, one of the sources, confirmed Mr Saar's presence and stated he was scheduled to meet President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi to discuss strengthening bilateral ties.

The Israeli foreign ministry has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the reported visit. Israel's formal recognition of Somaliland on 27 December was met with strong opposition from Somalia, which has long contested the region's efforts to secede. Significantly, Israel remains the only country to have formally acknowledged Somaliland as a sovereign state.

At the time, Abdullahi said Somaliland would join the Abraham Accords, a deal brokered by the Trump administration in 2020 that saw Gulf states the United Arab Emirates a close partner of Somaliland and Bahrain establish ties with Israel.

Somaliland, once a British protectorate, has for decades sought formal recognition as an independent state, though it has signed bilateral agreements with various foreign governments on investments and security coordination.

The territory lies in northwestern Somalia along the strategic Gulf of Aden and shares land borders with Ethiopia and Djibouti.

Israel's decision to recognise Somaliland follows two years of increasingly strained ties with many of its closest partners over the war in Gaza and policies in the West Bank.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel would pursue cooperation with Somaliland in agriculture, health, technology, and the economy, and has invited Somaliland's president to visit Israel.

Somaliland sits across the Gulf of Aden from Yemen, where Iran-backed Houthis have launched long-range missile and drone attacks on Israel since October 2023, coinciding with the Gaza war.

Somaliland has denied that the recognition agreement allows for Israel to establish military bases there, or for the resettlement of Palestinians from Gaza. Israel's government has advocated for what officials describe as voluntary Palestinian migration from Gaza.