Residents wave Somaliland flags as they gather to celebrate Israel’s announcement recognising Somaliland’s statehood in downtown Hargeisa, on December 26, 2025. Picture: Farhan Aleli / AFP South Africa has condemned Israel’s recognition of Somaliland as independent, citing the action as a violation of the Federal Republic of Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Israel announced on Friday it was officially recognising Somaliland, a first for the self-proclaimed republic that in 1991 declared it had unilaterally separated from Somalia.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the move as being in the spirit of the United States-brokered Abraham Accords, which normalised ties between Israel and several Arab countries, including the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, followed by other nations in the Middle East. Somaliland’s president, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdilahi, called the development “a historic moment,” but Somalia furiously rejected Israel’s move as an attack on its sovereignty. The move sparked condemnation from many other countries, including South Africa.
Department of International Relations (Dirco) spokesperson Chrispin Phiri said Pretoria has noted with concern the recent announcement by Israel recognising Somaliland as an independent state. “The recognition constitutes a violation of the Federal Republic of Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and a direct threat to peace in the Horn of Africa. We uphold the African Union’s principle of uti possidetis, the sanctity of inherited borders as the continent’s essential safeguard against conflict.
Read Full Article on The Citizen
[paywall]
“We distinguish unequivocally between decolonisation and secession. The former restores sovereignty; the latter dismantles it. Israel’s action validates fragmentation and risks a domino effect of instability,” Phiri said. Pretoria has urged the international community to reject “this external interference and support a united, stable Somalia.” On Sunday, the EFF said Israel’s recognition of Somaliland as an independent state, was nothing but a ploy to “destabilise Somalia in order to further Israeli influence and control in strategic positions in Africa and by consequence over the Middle-East.”
[/paywall]
