'Does Anyone Know What Somaliland Is?': Trump After Israel Recognises Horn Of Africa Territory

Hours after Israel announced its decision to recognise Somaliland as an “independent and socereign state,” US President Donald Trump questioned whether anyone know “what is Somaliland”.

The announcement was made on Friday by the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which also confirmed that Israel and Somaliland have agreed to establish full diplomatic relations.

Welcoming the move, Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi described it as a “historic moment” and the start of a “strategic partnership” between the two sides.

Meanwhile, New York Post quoted Trump saying: “Does anyone know what Somaliland is, really?”

Netanyahu has indicated he would convey to Trump Somaliland’s interest in joining the Abraham Accords, the US-brokered

agreements under which Israel normalised relations with several Arab countries.

According to New York Post, Trump sounded unimpressed by the Muslim-majority state offering to join the Abraham Accords — through which Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan and the UAE established relations with Israel — and equally unimpressed by Somaliland’s offer of land for a US naval base near the mouth of the Red Sea.

On Somaliland’s offer to the US of a port on the strategically important Gulf of Aden, Trump dismissively replied, “Big deal”.

Israel’s decision has also been criticised by Somalia and the African Union (AU).

The AU rejected Israel’s recognition, reiterating that Somaliland “remains an integral part” of Somalia and warning that the move could set a dangerous precedent for peace and stability on the continent.

What Is Somaliland?

Somaliland is a self-declared republic in the Horn of Africa that broke away from Somalia in 1991 following the collapse of the Somali state.

Despite functioning as a de facto independent entity for more than three decades, it has remained unrecognised by the international community.

The region has its own government, constitution, currency, passports and security forces. It has also held multiple elections and maintained relative stability, even as Somalia has grappled with prolonged civil war and political turmoil.

President Abdullahi, who assumed office last year, has made international recognition a central pillar of his administration.

Despite its strategic location along the Gulf of Aden, one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, Somaliland’s lack of recognition has restricted access to international loans, foreign aid and large-scale investment, contributing to persistent economic hardship.

Tensions surrounding Somaliland intensified last year after landlocked Ethiopia signed an agreement to lease part of Somaliland’s coastline for a port and a military facility, a move Somalia strongly opposed as a violation of its sovereignty.

Although no country had formally recognised Somaliland until now, several states, including the UK, Ethiopia, Turkey, the UAE, Denmark, Kenya and Taiwan, maintain liaison or representative offices in the region.