Israeli foreign minister in Somaliland: 'Unlike Palestine, it's not a virtual state'
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar arrived in Somaliland on Tuesday morning on the first official visit since Israel recognised the sovereignty of the breakaway region of Somalia.
Saar was pictured meeting Somaliland’s president, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, as he declared in an official statement that, "unlike 'Palestine', Somaliland is not a virtual state."
The foreign minister added that Somaliland was “pro-western and friendly to Israel.”
Saar said Israel and Somaliland would cooperate on strategic partnerships in the medical, defence, education and water sectors. He said that Abdirahman has accepted an invitation from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to make an official visit to Israel.
“In the coming months, we'll bring local professionals from Somaliland's water sector to Israel for training,” Saar said. “We'll also send Israeli experts here to help implement new capabilities.”
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Diplomatic sources said that Saar is scheduled to visit Berbera, a port that currently hosts an Emirati base and which is being considered by Israel for a similar purpose.
Somalia's foreign ministry condemned the Israeli visit to Somaliland, saying it was a violation of Somalia's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
On 26 December, Israel became the first country in the world to formally recognise Somaliland, an autonomous region of Somalia and a former British protectorate.
In the wake of the announcement, protests erupted in Somaliland, with videos showing people on the streets of Boroma, about 50km west of Hargeisa, waving Palestinian flags and chanting “Free, free Palestine”.
Before Israel’s recognition, there had been reports that Somaliland was considering allowing the establishment of an Israeli base on its soil in exchange for recognition and investments.
In July, an Atlantic Council article made the case for Israel-Somaliland recognition, arguing that “for both Israel and the United States, Somaliland presents an opportunity for strategic collaboration”.
“With nearly a third of global shipping passing through this corridor, threats from piracy, weapon smuggling, and terrorist groups like al-Shabab and the Houthis have drawn international concern,” former Israeli military intelligence researcher Amit Yarom wrote.
Social media accounts linked to the United Arab Emirates have reported that Abu Dhabi, along with India, Ethiopia and Kenya, is set to follow Israel and officially recognise Somaliland.
An Indian government adviser told Middle East Eye that India had "no plans to recognise" Somaliland.
UAE base in Somaliland
In 2017, Somaliland agreed to allow the UAE to set up a military base at the port of Berbera, from which it could fight the Houthis as part of Yemen’s civil war.
Initially, there were reports that the UAE had cancelled its agreement with Somaliland, but recent satellite images reveal advanced infrastructure, including a modern military port, a deep-water dock and a dock capable of receiving large naval vessels.
Berbera is part of a string of UAE bases that form a ring round the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea, through which about a third of global shipping passes. The bases have been set up with support from the US and Israel, which is also looking at how it can expand its presence in and around Berbera.
The base on Somaliland's Gulf of Aden coast has previously been used as a staging post to send Sudanese fighters to Yemen.
In March this year, Somaliland rejected an attempt by Somalia’s central government in Mogadishu to give the US exclusive control of the port and airbase at Berbera.
But at the end of July, Abdirahman announced that he had changed his mind, saying his administration was prepared to host a US military base at Berbera and offer access to valuable mineral resources, including lithium, as part of a broader strategy to gain international recognition.
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