US President Donald Trump said in an interview with the “New York Post“ that Washington does not yet intend to follow Israel in recognizing Somaliland.
“No“, the publication quoted him as saying when asked. “Everything is under investigation.“
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Israel's recognition of the Republic of Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state on December 26. Somaliland is internationally recognized as part of Somalia, but the Somaliland authorities unilaterally declared state sovereignty in the spring of 1991.
Somali authorities condemned "Israel's recognition of Somaliland also exacerbates "political and security tensions in the Horn of Africa, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, the Middle East and the wider region," Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre warned in a statement.
Given the geopolitical implications that such a decision could have in the Red Sea region, Israel's statement was strongly condemned, particularly by Djibouti, Egypt and Turkey, which described it as "interference".
Somalia also reaffirmed its "unwavering" support for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, "in particular their right to self-determination" and categorically rejected “occupation and forced displacement“.
“In this regard, Somalia will never agree to the Palestinian people being left without a state“, the statement added.
In August, several international news outlets reported talks between the Israeli and Somaliland authorities on the reception of Palestinians displaced from the Gaza Strip.
The African Union (AU) also condemned Israel's recognition of Somaliland tonight.
“The African Union reaffirms its unwavering support for the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia“, said a statement by the Chairperson of the AU Commission, Mahmoud Ali Yusuf. “Any recognition of Somaliland is a clear violation of the AU's founding act and the principle of the inviolability of the borders established at the time of the declaration of independence“, the statement added.
The territory of Somaliland, which is the size of Uruguay (175,000 sq km), is located in the northwestern tip of Somalia.
Somaliland unilaterally declared independence in 1991, when the Republic of Somalia had descended into chaos after the fall of the military regime of autocrat Siad Barre.
Since then, this self-proclaimed republic has operated autonomously with its own currency, army and police force and is distinguished by its relative stability compared to Somalia, which has been undermined by the Islamist insurgency of the group “Al-Shabab“ and endless political conflicts.
Until now, it has not been officially recognized by any country, which has kept it in a state of political and economic isolation, despite its location at the entrance to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait - one of the busiest trade routes in the world, connecting the Indian Ocean with the Suez Canal.