Somaliland will soon open an embassy in Jerusalem, its ambassador said on Tuesday, after Israel became the first country to formally recognise the self-declared republic as an independent state.
Mohamed Hagi, Somaliland’s ambassador, said in a post on X that Israel was also expected to open an embassy in Hargeisa, Somaliland’s capital, in a reciprocal move.
Israel recognised Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state in December, a step rejected by Somalia, which described the decision as a “deliberate attack” on its sovereignty.
Somaliland has governed itself with de facto autonomy since 1991, when Somalia collapsed into civil war. Despite relative stability compared with the rest of Somalia, it had long failed to secure formal international recognition.
Successive Somali governments have opposed any recognition of Somaliland and have urged foreign governments and international organisations to respect Somalia’s territorial integrity.
Somaliland hopes Israel’s recognition will encourage other countries to follow, boosting its diplomatic standing and improving access to international markets.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said the opening of a Somaliland embassy in Jerusalem would mark another significant step in strengthening relations between the two sides. He said it would become the eighth embassy based in Jerusalem.
Most countries keep their embassies in Israel in Tel Aviv, reflecting the disputed status of Jerusalem. The United States moved its embassy to Jerusalem during Donald Trump’s first administration, while Fiji, Papua New Guinea and a small number of other countries have also opened embassies there.
Israel regards all of Jerusalem as its capital, a position not widely recognised internationally. The United Nations and most countries consider East Jerusalem to be territory occupied by Israel.
Palestinians seek East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state that would include the West Bank and Gaza.