Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi reflects on Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, describing it as a historic milestone rooted in shared histoy
Somaliland diaspora celebrate Independence Day in London’s Trafalgar Square.(Zakariya Ifran/ShutterStock)
HARGEISA (Somali Report) — Israel made history on Dec. 26 by recognizing my country, the Republic of Somaliland. This recognition didn’t arise from diplomatic calculation alone; it is rooted in a bond forged during Somaliland’s darkest chapter.
In the late 1980s, the people of Somaliland endured a systematic campaign of extermination. The Somali dictator Siad Barre gave orders that spread through the ranks in the now notorious words: “kill all but the crows.”
More than 200,000 civilians were killed, and 90% of Hargeisa was destroyed, earning it the name “the Dresden of Africa.” Starting in 1988, some 800,000 people fled into Ethiopia.
While much of the world remained silent, Israel raised the alarm at the United Nations in May 1990, drawing attention to the systematic persecution and killing of Somaliland’s population, later referred to as the “Hargeisa Holocaust.”
Israel had been among the first of 35 countries to recognize Somaliland in 1960, when it gained independence from Britain, before its voluntary, failed union with southern Somalia. Israel and Somaliland share a deep understanding of the struggle for self-determination and international legitimacy. Somalilanders have long regarded Israel as reflecting our own journey, and the hope of advancing shared interests has never waned.
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Today, the Horn of Africa is an arena of intensified great-power competition, with China and Turkey expanding their presence and influence in Somalia. Somaliland has chosen a different path. We control 460 miles of coastline along the Gulf of Aden, through which about 30% of all container ships pass. While Somalia continues to lose ground to the al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab, Somaliland has maintained peace and democratic governance for more than three decades. Our U.K.-trained Coast Guard keeps our territorial waters free of piracy—capabilities that align directly with Israeli and broader Western security interests.
Our economic potential is equally significant. Dubai-based DP World’s $442 million investment in modernizing the Port of Berbera has positioned Somaliland as an emerging hub for regional trade and commerce. Israeli trade partnerships and technical expertise can further accelerate development across key sectors, including agriculture, technology and maritime services.
For Somaliland, Israel’s recognition represents a critical step toward securing our rightful place in the international community. It builds on our partnership with Taiwan and reinforces the conclusion reached by a 2005 African Union fact-finding mission, which determined that Somaliland’s case should be assessed “from an objective historical viewpoint and a moral angle vis-à-vis the aspirations of the people” and not “linked to the notion of ‘opening a Pandora’s box’ in Africa.”
One of the proudest moments of my presidency will undoubtedly be listening to Somaliland’s national anthem as we inaugurate our first official embassy in Israel. We recognize that widespread international recognition won’t occur overnight. Yet many countries in Africa and beyond have long sympathized with the moral and legal foundations of Somaliland’s case and have been waiting for a first mover. We, too, have waited patiently for decades.
Now, Israel has taken this bold step. We are confident that others will follow.
— Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi is the President of Somaliland. Israel became the first United Nations member state to recognize Somaliland in December 2025. Somaliland declared its independence from Somalia in 1991. This opinion first appeared in the January 15, 2026, print edition of The Wall Street Journal.
