FROM RECOGNITION TO REALITY — Somaliland Heads to Israel in Post-Recognition Breakthrough.

A senior delegation from the Republic of Somaliland is set to arrive in Israel on Sunday, marking the first organized visit of its kind since Israel formally recognized Somaliland as an independent sovereign state last month. The trip follows Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar’s historic visit to Hargeisa and signals a rapid deepening of ties after decades of quiet engagement.

The six-day visit is being facilitated by Sharaka, a regional non-governmental organization that promotes people-to-people diplomacy between Israel and the Arab and Muslim worlds. In a statement released Thursday, Sharaka described the delegation’s arrival as a “significant historical milestone” that moves relations beyond symbolism and toward sustained engagement.

According to the organizers, the Somaliland delegation will receive briefings on Israel’s history, governance structures, civil institutions, academic ecosystem and technological sector. The itinerary also places strong emphasis on Holocaust education and combating antisemitism, themes Sharaka says are central to building durable ties rooted in historical understanding rather than transactional politics.

The delegation is scheduled to visit Yad Vashem, Jerusalem’s Old City, and the Bedouin city of Rahat. It will also travel to the Gaza border region, including the site of the Nova music festival massacre, an inclusion that underscores Israel’s intent to frame the relationship within the context of its security challenges and the global fight against extremism.

The visit comes just days after Sa’ar became the first Israeli foreign minister to travel to Somaliland since Israel’s recognition. During meetings in Hargeisa, Sa’ar held talks with President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi and other senior officials, laying the groundwork for political, economic and strategic cooperation. While no formal agreements were announced, both sides framed the engagement as the beginning of a long-term partnership.

Sharaka’s CEO, Noam Meirov, said the organization was “proud to be part of reshaping the region,” describing the initiative as support for moderate actors confronting extremist ideologies. His remarks reflect a broader Israeli narrative that sees Somaliland as a rare case of stability, democratic practice and secular governance in a volatile region bordering the Red Sea.

For Somaliland, the visit reinforces its effort to translate Israel’s recognition into tangible diplomatic momentum. Officials in Hargeisa have long argued that sustained engagement — rather than formal recognition alone — is key to breaking international isolation and attracting investment, security cooperation and political legitimacy.

For Israel, the delegation’s arrival fits into a wider recalibration of its regional diplomacy, one that prioritizes new partners along critical maritime corridors at a moment of heightened Red Sea instability. Together, the reciprocal visits suggest that the relationship is moving quickly from a breakthrough announcement to a structured, strategic alignment — one likely to attract close scrutiny across the Horn of Africa and beyond.

HISTORY SEALED IN HARGEISA – President Irro Hosts Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar in Landmark Post-Recognition Talks.

HARGEISA — President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi (Irro) today received Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and his delegation at the Presidential Palace, marking the highest-level foreign visit to Somaliland in more than three decades and the first since Israel formally recognized Somaliland’s sovereignty.

Speaking on behalf of the nation, President Irro thanked the government and people of Israel for what he described as a “courageous and historic” decision, saying the recognition carries profound diplomatic, economic, and developmental implications not only for Somaliland, but for the Horn of Africa and beyond.

“Today is a great day for the Republic of Somaliland,” the president said, stressing that Israel’s recognition strengthens Somaliland’s role as a pillar of peace, democracy, freedom of expression, and regional stability. He said the move opens wide opportunities in investment, trade, technology, energy, water, minerals, agriculture, and critical economic infrastructure.

President Irro underscored that Somaliland is fully ready to cooperate with Israel across all sectors, framing the relationship as one built on shared strategic interests and mutual respect.

For his part, Foreign Minister Sa’ar said Israel is proud to have granted full recognition to Somaliland and is prepared to establish deep, comprehensive relations that benefit both nations and their peoples. He emphasized that Israel’s decision is grounded in the right of the Somaliland people to self-determination, as well as long-term security and stability in the Horn of Africa.

Sa’ar praised Somaliland’s democratic governance, internal peace, and constructive regional role, calling Somaliland a responsible state that contributes to global security and sustainable development. He added that Israel is committed to presenting Somaliland’s historical and independent statehood to the international community — a history he said has been ignored for far too long.

In a symbolic moment, Sa’ar noted that Israel recognized Somaliland on 26 June 1960, reaffirmed that recognition on 26 December 2025, and “will stand with Somaliland into the future.”

The visit, the first by a foreign minister in 34 years, marks the formal launch of a new political, strategic, and security partnership between Somaliland and Israel — one that signals a decisive shift from diplomatic isolation to global engagement.

President Irro closed by assuring Israel that Somaliland is a reliable partner, strategically located and ready to play a central role in future peace and security across the Horn of Africa and the wider world.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar Makes First Official Visit to Somaliland After Recognition.

HARGEISA — Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar arrived in Somaliland’s capital on Tuesday, marking the first official visit by a senior Israeli official since Israel formally recognized Somaliland’s sovereignty, according to a diplomatic source in Hargeisa.

Sa’ar is expected to hold talks with Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi at the presidential palace later today, followed by a joint press conference. The visit is aimed at advancing political and strategic cooperation between the two sides, the Somaliland diplomatic source told WARYATV.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry has not publicly commented on the visit, underscoring the sensitivity and significance of the moment as both sides move from recognition to practical engagement.

For Somaliland, the visit represents a diplomatic milestone decades in the making. After more than 30 years of operating as a de facto state with its own government, currency, security forces, and democratic institutions, Hargeisa has sought international recognition as the final step in consolidating its sovereignty. Israel’s decision to recognize Somaliland — and now to send its foreign minister — is widely seen by Somaliland officials as a breakthrough that could accelerate broader international acceptance.

Diplomatic sources say discussions are expected to focus on political coordination, regional security, trade, and broader strategic alignment, particularly in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden region, a corridor of growing geopolitical competition. While no agreements have been announced, officials on both sides have signaled interest in building long-term cooperation rooted in mutual security and economic interests.

The visit also carries wider regional implications. Somaliland sits along one of the world’s most critical maritime routes, and Israeli officials have increasingly emphasized the strategic importance of stable, reliable partners in the Horn of Africa amid rising tensions across the Red Sea and Middle East. Analysts say the trip signals Israel’s intention to translate recognition into a durable diplomatic and strategic relationship.

For Mogadishu, which continues to claim Somaliland as part of Somalia despite having exercised no authority over the territory since 1991, the visit is likely to deepen political strain. Somaliland leaders, however, argue that international engagement reflects realities on the ground rather than contested claims.

As Sa’ar’s meetings unfold in Hargeisa, attention will be focused on whether the visit produces concrete outcomes — or serves as the opening chapter in a new diplomatic chapter for Somaliland on the global stage.

HARGEISA — Somaliland has ordered the suspension of Air Djibouti flights to its territory starting January 7, escalating a rapidly deteriorating diplomatic standoff linked to Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, according to a report by BBC Somali.

The decision, which was formally communicated to Djibouti’s national carrier with a clear deadline, would halt one of the most important air links between Hargeisa and Djibouti. Air Djibouti has operated several weekly flights to Somaliland, serving government officials, business travelers, and families across the short but strategic corridor.

Neither Somaliland authorities nor the airline have publicly confirmed the suspension, though BBC Somali reported that Air Djibouti is expected to issue a statement.

The move comes amid growing tensions between Hargeisa and Djibouti following Israel’s announcement recognizing Somaliland as an independent state. Djibouti has openly opposed the recognition, reaffirming its alignment with Mogadishu and Somalia’s claim over Somaliland — a position that has increasingly put Djibouti at odds with Hargeisa’s diplomatic trajectory.

Relations worsened further after Somaliland and Djibouti moved to close their respective diplomatic offices on each other’s territory, a rare and symbolic step that signaled a breakdown in political trust. Regional observers view the airline suspension, if fully enforced, as a shift from diplomatic protest to tangible pressure.

If confirmed, the grounding of Air Djibouti flights would have immediate consequences for travel, trade, and people-to-people ties between the two neighbors, while also underscoring how Israel’s recognition has begun to reshape alliances across the Horn of Africa.

For Somaliland, the decision sends a clear message: recognition has consequences — and Hargeisa is prepared to defend its diplomatic choices with action, not just statements.

WARYATV Feature: The Lens of Recognition

The Sovereignty of Certainty: Why 2025 Marks Somaliland’s Irreversible Global Integration.

As the sun rises over Naasa Hablood on the first morning of 2025, Somaliland wakes up in a different geopolitical reality. This is no longer the uneasy calm of an “unrecognized” state surviving on patience and principle. This is the confidence of a nation that has crossed the diplomatic sound barrier — and will not be pushed back.

For more than three decades, Somaliland lived a paradox: a functioning state treated as a fiction. Elections without recognition. Borders without acknowledgment. Security without applause. That era is over. What changed in late 2024 was not just diplomacy — it was the collapse of an outdated regional order that had relied on pretending Somaliland did not exist.

The Ethiopia memorandum, the Red Sea realignment, and Israel’s recognition did not create Somaliland’s sovereignty. They confirmed it. While Mogadishu remains trapped in rival Gulf agendas and internal paralysis, Hargeisa has emerged as the Horn of Africa’s most reliable strategic anchor — stable, democratic, and operational.

This is why 2025 will not be remembered primarily as a year of flags and ceremonies. It will be remembered as the year Somaliland moved decisively from aid to trade.

The Berbera Corridor is no longer a promise; it is an artery. Infrastructure, logistics, energy, and digital investment are accelerating not because of sympathy, but because global markets recognize value. The private sector has already voted — and it voted for Somaliland. Governments are now playing catch-up.

But history does not reward complacency. Global visibility brings global scrutiny. If Somaliland is to be a pillar of Red Sea security and commerce, its institutions must match its strategic weight. Transparency, governance, and internal cohesion are no longer domestic issues — they are national security imperatives.

To the diaspora and the youth: the narrative has shifted. You are no longer explaining Somaliland’s existence. You are shaping its trajectory. The waiting phase is finished.

2025 will be defined by three tests:

Strategic autonomy — refusing to become a proxy in the Egypt-Ethiopia rivalry.
Economic diversification — ensuring Berbera’s success reaches rural and pastoral communities.
Democratic consolidation — protecting the system that made this moment possible.

Somaliland was not gifted recognition. It earned inevitability.

The era of asking is over.
The era of building has begun.

Happy New Year to the Republic of Somaliland.
WARYATV Editorial Board