Somalia's Al-Shabaab Vows to Fight Any Israeli Use of Somaliland

Ahram Online 

Saturday 27 Dec 2025

Somalia’s al-Qaeda-linked armed group Al-Shabab said on Saturday it would fight any Israeli attempt to “claim or use parts of Somaliland,” following Israel’s recognition of the breakaway region as an independent state.

This picture taken on November 7, 2024 shows a general view of the city of Hargeisa, capital and largest city of the self-proclaimed Republic of Somaliland. Somaliland's president on December 26, 2025. AFP

In a statement, Al-Shabab said it “would not accept it, and will fight against it,” and accused Tel Aviv of seeking to expand into Somali territory by backing what it called an “apostate administration” in northwestern Somalia.

Israel announced on Friday that it recognizes Somaliland as an “independent and sovereign state,” triggering sharp condemnation from Somalia and several regional and international actors. Mogadishu described the decision as a deliberate attack on its sovereignty that risks destabilising the Horn of Africa.

The African Union (AU) also rejected the move, warning it could set a dangerous precedent. AU Commission Chair Mahamoud Ali Youssouf said Somaliland “remains an integral part” of Somalia, an AU member state.

Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 after the collapse of the central government and has sought international recognition for decades. President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, who took office last year, has made securing recognition a central priority.

Israel said its decision was taken “in the spirit of the Abraham Accords,” the US-brokered agreements that normalized ties between Israel and several Arab states during Donald Trump’s first term. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said he had invited Abdullahi to visit Israel.

Asked whether Washington would also recognize Somaliland, Trump told the New York Post the United States would not, adding: “Does anyone know what Somaliland is, really?”

Abdullahi welcomed Israel’s move, calling it a “historic moment” and the start of a “strategic partnership,” in a post on X. In Somaliland’s capital, Hargeisa, residents took to the streets to celebrate, waving the territory’s flag, according to local sources.

Israel's regional security interests may lie behind the move.

"Israel requires allies in the Red Sea region for many strategic reasons, among them the possibility of a future campaign against the Houthis," said the Institute for National Security Studies in a paper last month, referring to the Yemeni rebel group.

Israel repeatedly hit targets in Yemen after it launched a two-year genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023, in response to Houthi attacks on Israel that the rebels said were in solidarity with Palestinians in the strip.

The Palestinian Authority (PA) rejected Israel’s recognition, warning against what it called complicity in Israeli plans. It said Israel had previously discussed Somaliland as “a destination for the forced displacement of our Palestinian people, particularly from the Gaza Strip.”

Regional backlash followed. Türkiye, a close ally of Somalia, said Israel’s move amounted to “overt interference” in Somalia’s internal affairs. “This initiative by Israel, which aligns with its expansionist policy... constitutes overt interference in Somalia's domestic affairs,” a Turkish foreign ministry statement read.

Egypt said its foreign minister spoke with counterparts from Somalia, Türkiye, and Djibouti, with the four countries jointly reaffirming support for Somalia’s unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.

In a video released by Netanyahu’s office, the Israeli leader told Abdullahi the new relationship could bring economic opportunities, saying he was “very proud of this day.”

Somaliland, a self-proclaimed republic, occupies a strategic position along the Gulf of Aden and maintains its own currency, passports, and security forces.

Despite relative stability compared with much of Somalia, it has remained diplomatically isolated, limiting access to foreign investment, aid, and loans.

A deal between landlocked Ethiopia and Somaliland last year to lease a stretch of coastline for a port and military base enraged Somalia.