Quick Read
- Israel became the first UN member state to recognize Somaliland’s independence in December 2025.
- US President Trump voiced skepticism, saying the US will study the recognition issue before making any decisions.
- Somaliland is strategically located near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, vital for global trade and regional interests.
In late December 2025, the world witnessed a diplomatic jolt in the Horn of Africa: Israel announced its formal recognition of Somaliland as an independent state. In Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland, fireworks lit up the night, and a giant Israeli flag was projected onto a central building. For many Somalis, it felt like the dawn of a new era—a long-awaited validation of a sovereignty declared back in 1991, after the territory broke away from Somalia amid civil war and chaos.
But as jubilation swept through Somaliland, the reaction from the international community was anything but uniform. Arab nations condemned the move, reiterating their support for Somalia’s territorial integrity. US President Donald Trump, meanwhile, voiced open skepticism. “Does anyone know what Somaliland is, really?” he quipped, signaling a reluctance to immediately follow Israel’s lead. In a phone interview with the New York Post, Trump said, “We’ll study it. Everything is under study. I study a lot of things and always make great decisions and they turn out to be correct.”
Trump’s dismissive tone was echoed in remarks overheard at his Palm Beach golf course: “Big deal,” he said when asked about Somaliland’s proposal to host a US naval base. Such statements suggest that, for Washington, the path to recognition is paved with caution rather than celebration.
Yet the strategic stakes are high. Somaliland’s location on the Horn of Africa, with its long coastline and control of the Port of Berbera, places it at the crossroads of major regional interests. The port lies about 155 miles south of Yemen and near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait—a global shipping corridor through which roughly 12% of world trade passes. For both Israel and the US, these geographic advantages are hard to ignore, especially as China expands its influence in Africa.
In recent months, senior US officials—including military personnel and Brian Cashman, Washington’s top official for the Horn of Africa—visited Somaliland. President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi of Somaliland told the Guardian that recognition was inevitable: “It’s a matter of time. Not if, but when and who will lead the recognition of Somaliland.” The US already operates a key base, Camp Lemonnier, in neighboring Djibouti, but worries about China’s growing presence in the region have prompted fresh discussions in policy circles.
Republican Senator Ted Cruz urged Trump to recognize Somaliland, citing its support for the Abraham Accords and burgeoning ties with Israel. Project 2025, a conservative policy blueprint, suggests that US recognition could help address its “deteriorating position in Djibouti.” But the administration remains divided. Some officials caution that recognizing Somaliland could jeopardize fragile cooperation with Somalia, which still views the region as part of its territory.
Somaliland’s story is one of resilience and diplomatic limbo. Since its self-declared independence in 1991, it has functioned as a de facto sovereign state, maintaining its own government and military. Its population of around six million—mostly Muslim—has watched as the international community withheld formal recognition. Until Israel’s announcement, only Taiwan (itself lacking UN membership) had established diplomatic relations. Ethiopia maintains commercial and diplomatic ties, but has stopped short of formal recognition.
Israel’s recognition is historic. No UN member state had previously acknowledged Somaliland’s independence. Netanyahu described the move as being “in the spirit of the Abraham Accords,” a series of normalization agreements brokered by the US during Trump’s first term. The announcement signals not only a shift in regional alliances but also a test of the international system’s ability to adapt to new realities.
As celebrations continue in Hargeisa, the future remains uncertain. Will the US join Israel in recognizing Somaliland, or will strategic caution outweigh the symbolic value of early recognition? For now, President Trump’s response is emblematic of a broader hesitancy—one shaped by complex alliances, security calculations, and the ever-present shadow of global competition.
The recognition of Somaliland by Israel marks a watershed moment for the region, but also exposes the deep fault lines in global diplomacy. As the US weighs its options and China’s influence grows, the fate of Somaliland hangs in the balance—caught between hope, realpolitik, and the shifting sands of international legitimacy. (Sources: Ynetnews, AA, Guardian)