Israel becomes first country to recognize Somaliland, Trump won't join

US President Donald Trump says he will not follow Israel’s decision to recognize Somaliland, but will “study” the matter. Addressing a media query,Trump asks: “Does anyone know what Somaliland is, really?” Trump replies, “big deal,” when asked about the African breakaway country’s offer to host a US military port. “Everything is under study,” he says. “We’ll study it. I study a lot of things and always make great decisions and they turn out to be correct.”

Earlier, Israel on Friday became the first country to recognize the Republic of Somaliland as an independent state, more than three decades after the African region broke away from Somalia, with the Muslim nation saying it aspired to join the Abraham Accords. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar signed the declaration for Israel, while Somaliland’s President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi signed for his country, which sits in a key strategic region in the Horn of Africa. The two countries have agreed to establish full diplomatic ties, which will include the appointment of ambassadors and the opening of embassies.

While no other countries have formally recognized it, several states — including the UK, Ethiopia, Turkey, the UAE, Denmark, Kenya and Taiwan — maintained liaison offices, and the Trump administration has signaled in recent months that it could change its stance on the breakaway region. However, the Friday announcement sparked anger among several regional powers who accused Israel of undermining the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Somalia.

Somalia’s Prime Minister, Hamza Abdi Barre said, his country categorically and unequivocally rejected what he called a deliberate attack by Israel on its sovereignty. Meanwhile, Egypt’s Foreign Minister held separate phone calls with his counterparts from Somalia, Turkiye and Djibouti to discuss issues including Israel’s declaration. The foreign ministers have strongly condemned the decision and rejected Israel’s announcement.

Egypt’s foreign Ministry in a statement said, the four countries reaffirmed their support for Somalia’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity and warned against unilateral steps that could undermine stability or create what they called parallel entities to Somalia’s state institutions. They also argued that recognising the independence of parts of sovereign states would set a dangerous precedent under international law and the United Nations Charter.

Somaliland has a strategic position on the Gulf of Aden and has its own money, passports and police force. Born in 1991 after a war of independence against former dictator General Siad Barre, it has grappled with decades of isolation ever since. With a population of almost six million, the self-proclaimed republic has recently been at the centre of several regional disputes involving Somalia, Ethiopia and Egypt.