Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar Meets Somaliland President in First Official Visit Since Recognition.
HARGEISA — Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar met Tuesday with Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, marking the first official Israeli visit since Israel formally recognized Somaliland as a sovereign state late last year — a move that followed months of secret diplomacy and has begun reshaping political alignments in the Horn of Africa.
Sa’ar’s arrival in Hargeisa comes nearly two weeks after Israel became the first United Nations member state to recognize Somaliland, ending more than three decades of diplomatic limbo for the self-governing republic. Somaliland’s presidency confirmed that the Israeli delegation was received by senior officials at the airport and held meetings with top government figures, with a joint press engagement expected later in the day.
Israel’s recognition, announced on December 26, was formalized through a joint declaration signed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Abdullahi. The agreement laid the groundwork for full diplomatic relations, including the exchange of ambassadors and the opening of embassies in both countries.
Behind the public announcement was a long and carefully managed process. According to diplomatic sources, the decision followed months of quiet backchannel talks led by Sa’ar, Mossad officials, and then–national security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi. Joint teams traveled discreetly between Israel and Somaliland, and senior Somaliland officials were hosted in Israel under strict confidentiality. Final approval was granted by Netanyahu in October.
The timing of the recognition was also strategic. Sources say the joint declaration was finalized weeks in advance but deliberately delayed at Somaliland’s request to allow preparations against potential hostile responses, particularly from Yemen’s Houthi rebels across the Gulf of Aden. Only after those security measures were in place did both sides move forward publicly.
Netanyahu, speaking with President Abdullahi by phone after the recognition, invited him to visit Israel “as soon as possible,” an offer Abdullahi accepted. Somaliland has also indicated its intention to join the Abraham Accords, the U.S.-brokered framework that normalized relations between Israel and several Arab states, including the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
Israeli officials have framed the new relationship as multidimensional, highlighting potential cooperation in agriculture, health, technology, and trade. Strategically, Somaliland’s location along the Gulf of Aden — directly across from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen — gives it outsized importance amid Red Sea instability.
Somaliland last week rejected claims by Somalia’s presidency that it had agreed to accept Gazan refugees or host Israeli military bases in exchange for recognition. Both Somaliland and Israel have denied any such quid pro quo, and Israel’s recognition announcement made no reference to conditions.
Diplomatic sources suggest Israel’s move may not stand alone for long. Countries including the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, India, Morocco, and Kenya are now widely viewed as potential next movers.
For Somaliland, Sa’ar’s visit is more than symbolism. It is the first visible proof that recognition is no longer theoretical — it has begun to translate into state-to-state diplomacy on the ground.
