In a surprise move, Israel has recognized the Republic of Somaliland as an independent state and has become the first nation to do so in more than three decades after it broke away from Somalia.
Officials from both nations signed a declaration for the recognition. From Israel, PM Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar signed the declaration, while from the Somaliland side, President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi signed.
This decision has not only shocked nations but also has a larger geopolitical implication in the region. The article will evaluate these implications one by one. But let’s have a look at Somaliland.
Geographically, it’s situated at the corner of the African Subcontinent, with access to the Indian Ocean in the Gulf of Aden and almost at the starting point of the Red Sea. This geographical position makes it a geopolitically critical piece of land.
It’s a Sunni Muslim nation and enjoyed five days of independence in 1960. Thirty-four nations, along with Israel, recognized the nation at that time. However, it united itself with Somalia. Again in 1991, Somaliland formally broke away from Somalia. Till now, no country has recognized it, but nations such as Turkey, the UAE and Taiwan have maintained liaison offices.
The first formal recognition came from Israel today (December 26). But one must be wondering why Israel took that decision?
Let’s understand the regional geopolitics first, then will move to its geopolitical reasons and implications.
If one sees the map, one will understand that the Persian Gulf and Houthis’ operating place, Yemen, is just a water body away from Somalia. It means it’s really easy to keep an eye, track movements and tackle threats in the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea and Yemen from Somaliland.
If Israel successfully makes a defence deal where it can get a military base, Israel can handle all its enemies in West Asia from a single piece of land. And not to forget, Djibouti, where all major powers have their military bases, is a neighbouring nation of Somalia. Hence, it can be speculated that Somaliland may not hesitate to give such a strategic location for Israeli troops. After all, Israel is the first nation to recognize it.
Israel must have already thought all these points before recognizing the nations. The geopolitical gain is huge for Israel as it can have a closer look and check on Houthis and Iran, the two staunch enemies of Israel.
While speaking to Somaliland President Abdullahi on the phone, Netanyahu says the friendship between the countries is “seminal and historic.” The language itself underscores the density of these newly formed diplomatic relations.
Netanyahu further says, “We intend to work together with you on economic fields, on agriculture, in the fields of social development.” It means the deal must have been in the talks with the Somalilandian President on almost every field.
Notably, Netanyahu invites Abdullahi for an official visit to Israel, and says he will communicate to US President Donald Trump Somaliland’s desire to join the Abraham Accords.
If Somaliland joins the Abraham Accords, the US, especially Trump, will be more than happy as a Sunni-dominated nation will normalize ties with Israel. It will be a win-win situation for President Trump, as he will get credit for his brainchild, the Abraham Accords.
Though the US can operate in the region from multiple positions and has a military base in neighbouring Djibouti, still having its ally Israel in Somaliland will be like having extra cheese on the plate.
Hence, overall, this recognition carries a heavy geopolitical weight, keeping the regional alignments in mind. For Israel, it will give a muslim sunni nation allies and a possible base on the Horn of Africa, for Somaliland, this recognition will end the frozen diplomatic engagement with the nation and may open a gate for more recognition. While for the US, it may open a long-awaited dream of keeping the relevance of the Abraham Accords. Hence, this is likely to serve a win-win situation for all the nations involved.