By Shoshana Bryen in Washington D.C.
Israel is on the hot seat. Not for Gaza, or Iran, or even for attacks on Syria or Lebanon.
No, Israel is on the hot seat for being the first country to establish formal diplomatic relations with Somaliland. Huh? Israel has had close, informal relations with Somaliland for decades, as have the US, UK, UAE, Taiwan, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Denmark, Kenya and Turkey.
A 2005 African Union fact finding mission on Somaliland’s independence said: “The fact that the ‘union between Somaliland and Somalia was never ratified,’ and also malfunctioned when it went into action from 1960 to 1990, makes Somaliland’s search for recognition historically unique and self-justified in African political history.”
Somaliland is far from unique. It is the product of colonial machinations that included the UK, France, Ethiopia, Italy all holding parts of the area beginning in the late 19th century.
In 1960, Somaliland chose to unite with the newly independent Somalia and Somali people from those other European and Ethiopian holdings.
Post-colonial governance worked out poorly. The regime of Siad Barre in Mogadishu prosecuted horrific wars against Somaliland and, when Barre was deposed in 1991, Somaliland negated the original treaty and declared independence.
The UN did not object. No one else did either. Until now.
Twenty-one Middle Eastern and African governments and organizations signed a statement condemning Israel’s recognition of Somaliland “in light of the serious repercussions to peace and security in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea region, and its serious impacts on international peace and security, which also reflects Israel’s clear and complete disregard for international law.”
Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, Qatar, Jordan, Algeria, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Libya, Palestine, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Comoros, Djibouti, Gambia, Maldives, Nigeria and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), those bastions of “peace and “security” and “international law,” signed the statement.
Western countries aren’t pleased either. Some of it is just about Israel. But inadvertently or deliberately, Israel undermined the entire postcolonial foundation of broad regional politics.
Countries wanted relations with Somaliland, a peaceful and well-governed state that rejects Islamic fundamentalism, holds elections and sits in a strategic spot. But they didn’t want to spread the idea of redrawing boundaries.
So, they called it “unique” and worked around the formalities, because if the people of Somaliland could erase colonial boundaries, why can’t Biafrans, or Berbers, or Darfurians make a claim to independence? Or, for that matter, why can’t the Kurds? Or the Baluch? Or the Druze? Or the Taiwanese?
Could the Hutus and Tutsis of Rwanda have avoided genocide? Nearly 2 million Tutsis live in Rwanda; 1 to 2 million live in Burundi; and there are significant communities of Tutsis in the provinces of DRC along both Rwanda and Burundi. Should The Republic of Tutsi have been established? Should it be?
Western colonials, including France and the UK, still perceive themselves having elevated status in their former colonies and maintained a military presence there. The UK has military facilities in Kenya, and deployments in countries including Mali, Somalia, Nigeria and Djibouti.
France used to but was ousted from seven former colonies between 2022 and 2025, with Russia and China increasing their presence on the continent.
China is always looking for new sources of energy and minerals, but its concern about Somaliland and Israel is that Somaliland reinforces Taiwan’s determination to remain apart from Beijing. Taiwan, of course, has relations with Somaliland and praised Israel’s decision.
However, Israel didn’t do it to irritate large parts of the world. Somaliland occupies a strategic position at the nexus of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Iranian shipments to the Houthis in Yemen and assorted jihadist groups in Africa sail through the Gulf.
Somaliland is next to Djibouti, home of the only permanent US base in Africa, and across from Yemen. It is north of Somalia, which sponsors piracy off its coast. Washington has been advancing and improving relations with Somaliland for more than a decade, hoping to counter Chinese advances in the region.
Periodic efforts in Congress to establish formal relations, however, have come to naught. But, while President Donald Trump’s administration made no changes in US policy during the visit of Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Deputy Ambassador to the UN Tammy Bruce told the UN Security Council:
“Israel has the same right to conduct diplomatic relations as any other sovereign state. Earlier this year, several countries, including members of this Council, made the unilateral decision to recognize a nonexistent Palestinian state. And yet, no emergency meeting was called to express this Council’s outrage. This Council’s persistent double standards and misdirection of focus distract from its mission of maintaining international peace and security.”
Restoring the focus on international peace and security would be helpful here. Colonialism is not dead, but it can’t be allowed to get in the way.
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Shoshana Bryen is the senior director of the Jewish Policy Center.
Somaliland meets every criterion set out under the Montevideo Convention for international recognition of a state—a settled population, defined territory, functioning government and capacity to enter foreign relations.