Why has Israel chosen to become the first country to recognise Somaliland?

Political, security and economic reasons could explain a move that has drawn global condemnation

Somaliland has welcomed Israel's announcement that it is recognising its statehood and said the decision marked the beginning of a 'strategic partnership'. AFP

Israel became the first country to recognise Somaliland as an independent state, drawing worldwide condemnation for a move that carries deeper geopolitical implications than initially apparent.

This is largely because Israel's recognition of Somaliland could entrench its presence closer to the heart of the Middle East, particularly near one of Israel's main adversaries, the Iran-backed Houthis.

“Hard to avoid the question: does Israel’s recognition of Somaliland today open the door – formally or informally – to access to military facilities there, aimed at countering Houthi drones and missiles from nearby Yemen across the Gulf of Aden?,” wrote David Makovsky, director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy Project on the Middle East Peace Process.

Somaliland’s Berbera Port could anchor new era of trade security

Read More

The Houthis and Israel have been exchanging attacks throughout the year, with the rebel group striking ships in the Red Sea in what it says is a protest to the continuing Israeli aggression in Gaza.

Israel had struck Houthi-held Sanaa and Hodeidah, killing government figures in the Houthi-run civilian administration. The situation between the Houthis and Israel has relatively calmed, but there is speculation as to whether this is one of the main reasons behind the Israeli rapprochement.

Somaliland is a self-declared independent state in the Horn of Africa, on the coast of the Gulf of Aden, bordering Somalia and Djibouti. Israel's Channel 12 reported that Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi made several secret visits to Israel, including in October, where he met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Minister of Defence Israel Katz, and Mossad chief David Barnea.

Somalia and the African Union were among the first to criticise the move, which had been long in the making, followed by Arab states like Egypt and Palestine. Somaliland had previously come up in discussions regarding the forcible displacement of Palestinians from Gaza.

Officials from Somaliland at the time told the Associated Press that they had no knowledge of contact being made by American or Israeli officials regarding the highly contentious matter, due to its legal and moral implications.

Additionally, Somaliland's port city of Berbera could allow Israel access to the Red Sea, a vital artery for commercial shipping that overlooks the Bab Al Mandeb strait which is a choke point for global trade.

Last year, Somaliland signed an agreement to lease a 20km stretch of coastline to its neighbour Ethiopia, a close ally and source of labour for Israel. Somalia summoned the Ethiopian ambassador in protest as Mogadishu does not recognise the breakaway area.

Whether political, economic, or security-related, Israel has made history in its recognition of Somaliland – a move whose full benefits have yet to become clear.