Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar visited Somaliland’s capital, Hargeisa, on Tuesday, meeting with senior leaders of the self-declared state following Israel’s decision to recognize Somaliland as an independent and sovereign country.

Sa’ar met with Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, as well as Foreign Minister Abdirahman Dahir Adam, Presidential Affairs Minister Hader Hussein Abdi, and Chief of Staff Nimsan Yusuf Osman, according to a statement from Israel’s Foreign Ministry.

During joint remarks in Hargeisa, Sa’ar defended Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, drawing a pointed contrast between Somaliland and other disputed entities.

“Unlike ‘Palestine,’ Somaliland is not a virtual state,” Sa’ar said. “It’s a functioning state. Somaliland is a fully functioning country based on the principles of international law.”

He said Somaliland has demonstrated political stability and democratic governance for decades, noting that it has held regular elections and experienced peaceful transfers of power since declaring independence from Somalia in 1991.

“Somaliland is, and has been, a stable democracy for nearly 35 years,” Sa’ar said. “It has democratic elections, most recently in November 2024, and peaceful transitions of power. It’s pro-Western and friendly to Israel.”

Sa’ar said Israel was “truly honored” to be the first country to formally recognize Somaliland’s independence, a move that breaks with the longstanding international consensus that treats the territory as part of Somalia.

“This is the moral thing to do and this is what we did,” Sa’ar said. “We hear the attacks, the criticism, the condemnations. Nobody will determine for Israel whom we recognize and whom we maintain diplomatic relations with.”

The foreign minister added that Israel hopes other countries will follow its lead, amid speculation that additional states may be considering recognition of Somaliland in the near future.

Somaliland has operated as a de facto independent state since the early 1990s, with its own government, military, currency, and electoral system, but has lacked formal international recognition. Israel’s decision marks the first such recognition by a United Nations member state and could have broader diplomatic implications in the Horn of Africa.

Neither the Israeli Foreign Ministry nor Somaliland officials commented on whether the visit would lead to the establishment of full diplomatic missions or formal bilateral agreements, though Sa’ar described the recognition as a step toward deepening ties between the two sides.

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