Khaberni - The official Israeli recognition of "the Republic of Somaliland" has brought to the forefront of international events the importance this region, located in a strategic area, the Horn of Africa, enjoys.
A report highlighted the roots of Somaliland's establishment and the historical dispute between it and Somalia, according to Al Jazeera.
Somaliland is described as the gateway to Bab el-Mandeb, geographically located in the Horn of Africa and overlooking the Gulf of Aden, sharing borders with Djibouti to the north, Ethiopia to the south, covering an area of 177,000 square kilometers, and having a population of 6 million people mostly Sunni Muslims, distributed among prominent ethnic tribes such as Isaaq, Darood, and Samaron.
Somaliland, and its historic capital Hargeisa, derive their significance from the port of Berbera, which serves as its economic lung, being the largest port of the Gulf of Aden and the most important port for imports in Ethiopia.
Historically, Italy occupied Somalia in 1887, and the following year Britain colonized Somaliland, aiming to prevent France from gaining a foothold in Bab el-Mandeb and to protect their bases in Aden.
Somaliland gained independence on June 26, 1960, and was recognized by more than 30 countries, including Israel, but these recognitions lasted only a few days, following the announcement of the union between Somaliland and the South which gained independence just four days later.
However, the arrival of the military to power in the late sixties escalated the situation due to its policies at the time described by its opponents as repressive, leading to the emergence of armed movements, among them the "Somali National Movement," which later under the leadership of Abdul Rahman Ahmed Ali, declared unilateral separation after the fall of Mohamed Siad Barre's rule on May 18, 1991.
Israeli Recognition
Since 1991, Somaliland has not received any international recognition, and on December 26, 2025, Israel officially declared its recognition of the "Republic of Somaliland".
Experts on African affairs say that the successive administrations in Somaliland have succeeded in achieving relative stability and peaceful power transitions, with 6 presidents governing since the 1990s. However, splits have started anew for over a year, as the Sool region declared its affiliation with the central federal state, refusing to separate from it.
In the midst of this reality, the dream of unity in Somalia remains uncertain, with the north believing it has the right to establish an independent state along the borders of the British occupation, and the south victorious for unity, believing that Somalia is an indivisible whole, and that colonialism divided its northern and southern parts, and that it is one entity that cannot be divided into two.
