Saudi Arabia rejects Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, affirms support for Somalia

5 comments

1. I genuinely don’t know how to view Somaliland.

   Forgetting Israel’s stance because Israel only acts disingenuously, does anyone have a strong case as to why independence isn’t something worth advocating for?

   I get they were apart of a British protectorate etc and this is a delayed fallout from colonialism. Is Somalialand a religious ethnostate? A satellite state used to destabilise a region? A genuine indigenous breakaway or something more complex?

   I understand Ethiopia supports it primarily because it wants port access as well.

2. Ironic isn’t it that Saudi Arabia is fully Supportive of Palestininas right to self determination but refuses to back the right of the Somaliland people to do that…… Hopefully more nations will follow Israel in recognizing Somaliland and not continue to deny their right to self determination like the Saudi gov is doing for some reason……

3. Context:

   >Israeli analysts have said recognition of the breakaway state could be in Israel’s strategic interest, given Somaliland’s proximity to Yemen, where Israel has conducted extensive airstrikes against the Houthi rebels over the past two years.

   >A report in November by the Institute for National Security Studies, an Israeli thinktank, said: “Somaliland’s territory could serve as a forward base for multiple missions: intelligence monitoring of the Houthis and their armament efforts; logistical support for Yemen’s legitimate government in its war against them; and a platform for direct operations against the Houthis.”

   >The Somaliland authorities already host a military base operated by the United Arab Emirates in Berbera, which has a military port and an airstrip for fighter jets and transport aircraft. Analysts have suggested that the base is a key part of the UAE’s anti-Houthi campaign in Yemen.

   >Somaliland’s president revealed in May that US military officials, including the most senior officer in the Horn of Africa, had visited Somaliland and that another US delegation was expected to visit soon. “It’s a matter of time. Not if, but when and who will lead the recognition of Somaliland,” Abdullahi told the Guardian.

   >Project 2025, which was published in 2023 and is alleged to have guided much of the doctrine of Donald Trump’s second administration, called for the recognition of Somaliland as a “hedge against the US’s deteriorating position in Djibouti”, where Chinese influence is growing.

   https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/26/israel-first-country-to-recognise-somaliland-sovereign-state

4. Israel is recognizing Somaliland so that Somaliland will accept two million displaced Palestinians. This would allow Trump and other Zionists to develop waterfront properties in Gaza, something they have been talking about since 2024. Other countries were considered, such as Morocco and South Sudan, but it seems Somaliland was chosen because of its location.

   Another reason is that Israel, the United States, and the UAE want a military base to fight the Houthis and to access Sudanese gold. Whether you think these are good reasons depends on you as a person.

   Many people do not know much about Somaliland. Somaliland is essentially an enclave. It is a clan-based entity trying to become a country. This began in the 1980s after the Ethiopian-backed, trained, and funded SNM launched a series of attacks from Ethiopia, targeting minority clans in Somaliland. After this instability, the leader at the time, Siad Barre, intervened, and the SNM used this as an excuse to continue fighting.

   In the past two years, Somaliland forces were pushed out of the eastern region, which makes up about one-third of Somaliland territory. This so-called country does not fully control its claimed land. The eastern areas are now controlled by SSC-Khatumo, and in the west, Awdal is dominated by another clan that does not recognize Somaliland. People in Awdal were protesting just two weeks ago due to long-term neglect by the Isaaq clan.

   Last year, Somaliland attempted to give Ethiopia sea access and a military base, but that deal failed. Now, even on Google Maps, when you search for Somaliland, you can see that roughly one-third of its claimed territory is no longer under its control.

5. I wonder what would have happened if Israel doubled down on not recognising Somaliland. Would the Saudis then have chosen to support Somaliland? We often see weird shifts in alliances. The USSR originally supported the creation of Israel but stopped after the US began supporting them.

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