Somali President: Israel Recognized Somaliland in Exchange for Settling Palestinians and a Military Base

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud said that no country has recognized the separatist region of Somaliland, and that it has been a long-standing issue for 3 decades, noting that there is no problem between the central government and Somaliland "until it goes to Israel".

He pointed out in an interview that his government is seeking to unify the country peacefully, explaining that after 3 decades of the Somaliland file, "Israel jumped from somewhere and recognized Somaliland".

The Somali President confirmed that according to the intelligence information they have, Somaliland accepted 3 Israeli conditions in exchange for recognition, which are "settling Palestinians, establishing an Israeli military base on the coast of the Gulf of Aden, and Somaliland joining the Abraham Accords".

He added that he has "intelligence information that Israel had a certain level of presence in Somaliland", considering that "Israel's recognition of Somaliland is nothing but normalization of what was happening in secret".

In a related context, the capital Mogadishu witnessed a popular demonstration condemning Israel's decision to recognize the Somaliland region, where protesters raised national flags and banners affirming Somalia's unity and rejecting any unilateral actions that affect its sovereignty.

Speakers at the event confirmed that these popular movements come in support of the official position, and participants considered the Israeli step as "a blatant violation of the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity". The demonstration also saw participation from government officials alongside representatives from various segments of Somali society.

On Friday, Israel announced "official recognition of the Republic of Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state", making Tel Aviv "the only one that recognizes Somaliland".

The region of "Somaliland", which has not enjoyed recognition since declaring its secession from Somalia in 1991, acts as an independent entity administratively, politically, and security-wise, with the central government unable to extend its control over it, or its leadership able to seize independence.

Following Tel Aviv's position, Somalia affirmed its absolute and non-negotiable commitment to its sovereignty, national unity, and territorial integrity, declaring a categorical rejection of the illegal step taken by Israel in recognizing the northern Somalia region.