Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday announced today the official recognition of the Republic of Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state.
Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, and the President of the Republic of Somaliland signed a joint and mutual declaration.
“This declaration is in the spirit of the Abraham Accords, signed at the initiative of President Trump,” said a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.
Prime Minister Netanyahu congratulated the President of Somaliland, Dr. Abdirahman Mohamed Abdallah, and praised his leadership and commitment to promoting stability and peace. The Prime Minister invited the President to pay an official visit to Israel.
The President thanked Prime Minister Netanyahu for his historic declaration and expressed appreciation for the Prime Minister’s achievements in fighting terrorism and advancing regional peace.
“The Prime Minister thanks Foreign Minister Sa’ar, the Head of Mossad David Barnea and the Mossad, for their contribution to today's development and wishes the people of Somaliland success, prosperity, and freedom,” said the statement from Netanyahu’s office.
“The State of Israel plans to immediately expand its relations with the Republic of Somaliland through extensive cooperation in the fields of agriculture, health, technology, and economy,” it added.
Somaliland, which declared independence from Somalia in 1991, has enjoyed effective autonomy and relative peace and stability, but has failed to receive recognition from any other country besides Israel.
Israel’s move was condemned by the foreign ministers of Somalia, Egypt, Turkey and Djibouti.
"The ministers affirmed their total rejection and condemnation of Israel's recognition of the Somaliland region, stressing their full support for the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Somalia," Egypt's foreign ministry said in a statement following a phone call between Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and his Somali, Turkish and Djiboutian counterparts.
(Arutz Sheva-Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)