Somaliland

Somaliland moves toward Israel trade pact, signals access to lithium and minerals

Following Israeli recognition, Somaliland is seeking a trade and investment deal and has signaled willingness to offer access to key mineral resources.

|ByREUTERS
The flag of Somaliland is seen during a campaign rally of the main opposition party Waddani in Hargeisa on November 8, 2024, ahead of the 2024 Somaliland presidential election.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar meets with Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi in first diplomatic visit to Somaliland on January 6, 2026.

Israel-Somaliland relations are natural repetition of history, says Khalifa Ibrahim - interview

In a Maariv interview with Edy Cohen, Khalifa Ibrahim, a businessman from the city of Berbera and an advisor to investors, explained why Israel was and remains his country's natural ally.

|ByEDY COHEN
An illustrative image of a Somaliland flag being held.

Why Israel was right to recognize Somaliland - opinion

Somaliland’s six million people see Israel’s recognition as a long-overdue reward for decades of successful state-building.

|ByNEVILLE TELLER
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry speaks during a press conference after a meeting with his Greek counterpart in Athens on May 20, 2024.

Egypt boosts military presence in Somalia after Israel recognizes Somaliland - report

Somalia has strongly condemned Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, marking the first time any nation has officially recognized the breakaway region.

|ByGUY ELSTER

Israel’s quiet gambit on the Red Sea chessboard - opinion

Recognition of Somaliland offers a way to shape the broader strategic environment around the Red Sea.

JANUARY 15, 2026ByLIRON ROSE, AMIT SHABI
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar meets with Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi in first diplomatic visit to Somaliland on January 6, 2026.

Israel's recognition of Somaliland sends warning to Turkey, Iran, Syria - opinion

Israel’s recognition of Somaliland has sent shockwaves through the region and chills down the spines of authoritarian leaders

JANUARY 13, 2026ByJONATHAN CONRICUS
Somaliland, a de facto state that has governed itself for more than three decades, holding elections, maintaining security, and building institutions, even as it remains largely unrecognized by the international community.

Israel and India's laboratory in the Horn of Africa-opinion

A strategic shift is underway in the Horn of Africa: Israel’s recognition of Somaliland and its partnership with India signal a move toward flexible, tech‑driven security

JANUARY 12, 2026ByDR. LAUREN DAGAN AMOSS
Somaliland Navy members participate in a parade celebrating the 33rd anniversary of their Independence in Hargeisa, Somaliland on May 18, 2024.

A Black African Jew to UN and African Union: Israel just did your job in Somaliland - opinion

For over 30 years, Somaliland has behaved like a responsible state without being treated as one. And what have the UN and the AU done? Missions and communiqués about Somalia’s territorial integrity.

JANUARY 12, 2026BySHMUEL LEGESSE
Somaliland Navy members participate in a parade celebrating the 33rd anniversary of their Independence in Hargeisa, Somaliland on May 18, 2024.

Why Somaliland meets the legal test for statehood and Palestine does not - opinion

Israel’s move may prove, in the context of Somaliland, to be a turning point enabling its recognition by other countries, while realizing its right to self-determination.

JANUARY 12, 2026BySHUKI FRIEDMAN
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar meets with Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi in first diplomatic visit to Somaliland on January 6, 2026.

Somaliland’s lost and forgotten Jews: Inside Horn of Africa's Jewish past - opinion

Beyond the politics, Israel’s recognition of Somaliland reveals a hidden Jewish past, from ancient cemeteries to the origins of the Yibir tribe.

JANUARY 10, 2026ByMICHAEL FREUND
Residents wave Somali flags as they attend a rally denouncing Israel’s recognition of the breakaway Somaliland region, during a gathering calling for Somalia’s territorial unity, in Mogadishu, Dec. 30.

Grapevine, January 9, 2025: An embassy row in Jerusalem?

Movers and shakers in Israeli society.

JANUARY 9, 2026ByGREER FAY CASHMAN
Micky Maltz.

Somaliland delegation to arrive in Israel on Sunday following FM Sa'ar's historic visit

The trip will include visits to Yad Vashem, the Old City of Jerusalem, the Gaza border area - including the site of the Nova massacre - and the Bedouin city of Rahat.  

JANUARY 8, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Residents wave Somaliland flags as they gather to celebrate Israel's announcement recognising Somaliland's statehood in downtown Hargeisa, on December 26, 2025.

African Union calls on Israel to revoke Somaliland recognition amid Sa'ar visit

"The (AU) Council strongly condemns, in the strongest terms, the unilateral recognition of the so-called 'Republic of Somaliland' by Israel," it said in a post on X after a ministerial meeting.

JANUARY 6, 2026ByREUTERS, JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar meets with Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi in first diplomatic visit to Somaliland on January 6, 2026.

Gideon Sa’ar in Somaliland, Palestinian embassy in London - January 6, 2026

The Jerusalem Post's must-listen news roundup with Shifra Jacobs—the top stories, clear and concise. 

JANUARY 6, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST PODCASTS
Illustrative image of Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar.