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Israel's Recognition of Somaliland – A Diplomatic Earthquake with Reverberations for Aspiring Nations
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Israel's Recognition of Somaliland – A Diplomatic Earthquake with Reverberations for Aspiring Nations
December 26, 2025 | Breaking News Analysis
By David Faraji, Geopolitics Correspondent
In a move that has sent shockwaves through the Horn of Africa and the broader international community, Israel has become the first country to formally recognize the self-declared Republic of Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state.
Photo: Somaliland President(L) & Israeli PM/ Credit: The Times of Israel
This decision, announced jointly by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi on Friday, represents not merely a bilateral agreement but a potential paradigm shift in the contentious politics of separation and recognition. It also casts a spotlight on other long-running independence struggles, notably that of Southern Cameroons ( aka Ambazonia).
Deconstructing the Deal: Abraham Accords and Strategic Footholds
Israeli framing of the recognition is explicitly tied to the Abraham Accords, the series of normalization agreements brokered by the Trump administration with Arab states. By inviting Somaliland to join this framework, Israel accomplishes several strategic goals:
Breaking Diplomatic Isolation in Africa: Israel gains a grateful and strategically located partner on the key Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, a critical chokepoint for global shipping and security. This expands its diplomatic footprint in Africa beyond historical allies like Ethiopia and Kenya.
Extending the "Abraham Accords" Model: The move signals that the Accords are not solely for Arab states but a flexible tool for building alliances with non-Arab Muslim-majority entities that share mutual interests, particularly concerning perceived common threats.
Economic and Security Cooperation: The promised immediate cooperation in agriculture, health, technology, and the economy points to tangible benefits. For Israel, Somaliland offers potential for port access, intelligence sharing, and a stable partner in a volatile region.
For Somaliland, this is a monumental breakthrough after 33 years of de facto independence. Since declaring independence in 1991 following the collapse of Somalia's central government, Somaliland has built a functioning, democratic state with its own currency, military, and passport, all without international recognition. Israel's move provides a desperately sought-after crack in the wall of global non-recognition, potentially encouraging other nations to follow suit, albeit cautiously.
The Inevitable Backlash: Somalia and the AU's Stance
The reaction from Mogadishu was swift and severe, condemning Israel's move as an "unlawful step" and a "deliberate attack" on its sovereignty. Somalia's statement underscores the core tension: the clash between the principle of territorial integrity, sacrosanct to the African Union (AU) and enshrined in its constitutive act, and the right to self-determination.
Somalia’s vow to pursue "all necessary diplomatic, political, and legal measures" sets the stage for a fierce diplomatic battle. The AU, which has consistently supported Somalia's sovereignty and unity, now faces a direct challenge from one of its own member states' foreign policy decisions. This places other African nations in a difficult position, forced to choose between solidarity with Somalia, respect for Somaliland's achievements, and their own bilateral relations with Israel.
A Beacon of Hope for Ambazonia? Parallels and Cautions
This development has been watched closely by proponents of Southern Cameroons' (Ambazonia) independence. The parallels are striking:
Historical-Legal Claim: Both regions base their claims on distinct colonial boundaries (British Somaliland vs. Italian Somalia; British Southern Cameroons vs. French Cameroun).
Disputed Union: Both argue their integration into a larger state (Somalia in 1960, Cameroon in 1961) was flawed, coercive, or not fully realized.
Long-Struggle & State-Building: While Ambazonia's armed conflict is more recent and intense, both have sustained prolonged struggles for international attention.
The recognition offers a powerful narrative of hope: "If Somaliland can break through, why not us?" It demonstrates that a determined, organized independence movement can, under the right geopolitical circumstances, secure a powerful patron willing to defy conventional diplomatic consensus.
Southern Cameroons/Ambazonia Protesters in New York USA September 22 , 2017
However, the dynamics are not linear:
First, Somaliland has enjoyed relative internal consensus and stability for decades. Southern Cameroons - Ambazonia is still in a brutal conflict with the Republic of Cameroon under the nanogenarian Dictator Paul Biya, resulting in a devastating humanitarian crisis fueled by Cameroon’s genocide on the people of Southern Cameroons - Ambazonia.
Second, Israel's move is partly about countering Iranian and Turkish influence in the Horn. The geopolitical calculus in Central Africa, involving Nigeria, France, and the Commonwealth, is different and may not currently favor such a bold recognition.
Third, in Somaliland’s case, Israel acted unilaterally. For Southern Cameroons - Ambazonia to gain similar recognition, it would likely require a powerful state like the USA, willing to absorb significant diplomatic blowback from France and its puppet regime in Cameroon, the AU and other international players, to see strategic value in doing so.
A Precedent Set, A Path Uncharted
Israel's recognition of Somaliland is a diplomatic earthquake. It boldly prioritizes strategic interest and a facts-on-the-ground assessment over strict adherence to the post-colonial OAU/AU doctrine of uti possidetis (inviolability of colonial borders). It has instantly made the Somaliland issue an international, rather than merely African, dispute.
For the people of Southern Cameroons, this is both an inspiration and a lesson. The inspiration is that the impossible can become possible. The lesson is that recognition is not bestowed merely on the justness of a cause, but on its strategic utility to a recognizing state, its internal cohesion, and its ability to present itself as a stable, viable partner.
The door to recognition, once considered hermetically sealed, now has a visible crack. Whether other nations, driven by their own interests, will walk through it is a matter of time.
For Southern Cameroons/Ambazonia, hope runs high in this new era of unpredictable diplomacy. The map of Africa, long considered immutable, is being subtly but insistently redrawn, each piece reshaped to fit the grander Pan-African puzzle.
Also Read:
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"OP-ED: They Planned the War. They Lost the War. And They Will Lose the Future."
"OP-ED: Leadership in Captivity: Lessons from Venezuela, Ambazonia, and Nelson Mandela's Legacy"
"Trump-Ordered U.S. Strike In Northwest Nigeria Sends Shockwaves Across The Gulf of Guinea"
" U.S. Diplomatic Withdrawal Shakes Africa: Cameroon Braces for Impact"
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