Thursday May 21, 2026
Mogadishu (HOL) — Somalia’s federal government on Wednesday condemned Somaliland’s plan to open an embassy in Jerusalem, calling the move legally void and a provocation to the Arab and Islamic worlds.
In a statement, Somalia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the planned embassy had no legal effect because Mogadishu regards Somaliland as part of Somalia’s sovereign territory.
The statement followed comments by Mohamed Hagi, Somaliland’s ambassador to Israel, who said Somaliland would open an embassy in Jerusalem and that Israel would establish a mission in Hargeisa soon.
Hagi said in a post on X that the move reflected “growing friendship, mutual respect, and strategic cooperation” between Somaliland and Israel.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar welcomed the announcement, calling it a “significant step” in strengthening relations. “We will work together to implement this decision soon,” Sa’ar said on X.
The planned embassy marks the latest escalation in a diplomatic dispute that began after Israel formally recognized Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state in December 2025. Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office said the recognition was announced Dec. 26, 2025, after a joint declaration was signed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Sa’ar and Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi Irro.
Israel was the first U.N. member state to recognize Somaliland, which declared independence from Somalia in 1991 but had remained without formal recognition for more than three decades.
Somalia has strongly rejected Israel’s recognition, saying Somaliland remains part of its territory. A growing number of countries and organizations, including the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, also rejected the move, citing concerns over Somalia’s sovereignty and regional stability.
Somaliland’s first ambassador to Israel, Mohamed Hagi, presented his credentials to Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem on May 18, 2026, according to Israeli media reports.
Somaliland has operated with its own government, security forces, currency and election institutions since its 1991 breakaway from Somalia. But Mogadishu continues to reject its independence claim, while the African Union and United Nations have urged dialogue between the two sides without endorsing Somaliland’s sovereignty.
