Israel's move to recognize Somaliland condemned by four countries

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Israel’s recognition of the Republic of Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state, the office of the head of the Jewish state’s government reported.

Thus, Israel has become the first nation in the world to formally recognise Somaliland.

Israel and Somaliland had signed a joint declaration establishing full diplomatic relations, describing it as being “in the spirit of the Abraham Accords”, a set of deals brokered by the U.S. to establish formal ties between Israel and Arab states.

Earlier this year, reports emerged linking potential recognition of Somaliland to plans for ethnically cleansing Palestinians in Gaza and forcibly moving them to African region.

The foreign ministers of Egypt, Turkiye, Somalia and Djibouti warned against such a move during their call earlier.

“The participants also affirmed their categorical rejection of any plans to displace the Palestinian people from their land, plans that are unequivocally rejected by the vast majority of the world’s nations in both form and substance,” the Egyptian Foriegn Ministry said.

Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991, but it has failed to gain recognition from any United Nations member state.