In December 2025, Israel accorded recognition to Somaliland as an independent nation and as was expected, its action has met with criticism from various regional and extra regional powers. Israel’s move comes more than 30 years after Somaliland declared its independence from Somalia.

Following a secessionist struggle with the forces of Somalia’s military dictator Siad Barre, Somaliland declared independence in 1991 after Barre was overthrown. Though lacking international recognition, Somaliland has its own political system, government institutions, police force, and currency.

Israel’s move to grant recognition to Somaliland attracted heavy criticism from countries and international bodies like Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, China, Russia and the African Union. Somalia from which Somaliland declared independence, termed Israel’s move as an attack on Somalia’s sovereignty.

Amid all the opposition, the United States (US) came out in Israel’s support and defended the latter’s decision. The US justified Israel’s actions saying that several countries around the world have recognized Palestine as a state, a move that the US has opposed.

As of now Israel remains the only United Nations member state to have granted legitimacy to Somaliland which lacks recognition of its sovereignty from other nations. However, Israel’s step is likely to heat up the already volatile geopolitics of Horn of Africa. Further, this development reflects the tussle limited to Horn of Africa and is also seen as a subset of the wider conflict between the West on one side and Russia, as also China, on the other, having roots in the Cold War-era right up to the Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel-Hamas war. Israel’s recent steps have only widened the fault lines in the Horn of Africa where Somalia and Somaliland remained pitched against each other and are used as stepping stones by various powers to forward their own economic and strategic interests.

The contested status of Somaliland’s sovereignty has not prevented various powers to show interest in this territory. At the heart of international interest is Somaliland’s Berbera Port which overlooks Gulf of Aden. The location of Berbera Port is crucial for securing the Gulf of Aden waterway as it is a major shipping route. In particular, since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, disruption in trade with attacks on commercial vessels has brought to the fore the need for securing the Red Sea.

Developing ties with Somaliland allows Israel to gain a strong foothold in the Red Sea. Somaliland is located only 250 km from Yemen, where the Iran-backed Houthis have been carrying out attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea. The Houthis have also targeted Israel in the course of latter’s conflict with Iran. Somaliland’s Berbera Port allows Israel to keep a check on Houthi’s activities. Also from Berbera, Israel is only four hours away from carrying out strikes against Iran’s nuclear targets. This strategic calculus gives Israel an upper hand in the Red Sea.

Parallel to Israel, the UAE and Ethiopia too have stakes in the Berbera Port. The UAE’s interests in the Red Sea, apart from securing sea lanes of communication, lie in maintaining control in Yemen where Abu Dhabi supports a faction of the Southern Transitional Council in the internal tussle of Yemen. Dubai-based port and logistics company DP World handles the operations at Berbera Port.

Ethiopia, a landlocked country bordering Somalia, is interested in Somaliland to gain access to sea. While stopping short of according recognition to Somaliland, Ethiopia continues to engage with this territory in economic and strategic areas.

However, even as countries like Israel, the UAE and Ethiopia prioritize their own interests in the Horn of Africa at the cost of antagonizing Somalia, apparently rival country like Russia too is not able to resist the attraction of Berbera Port. While Russia enjoys strong strategic ties with Somalia, at the same time Russia is not averse to engaging with Somaliland. Russia’s apparent balancing act dates back to the Cold War days when the erstwhile Soviet Union maintained cordial ties with rivals Somalia and Ethiopia. Also, the Soviet Union had made efforts to gain a foothold in Somaliland. Even as countering the West and allies of the West remains a priority for Russia, Horn of Africa presents an interesting picture. Russia’s maneuvering in Horn of Africa is not restricted to support a rival of the West. Instead, Moscow is also looking to gain a stake in Somaliland, which the West and its allies are rushing to engage with. Russia is already entrenched in different parts of Africa, particularly Central and West Africa. Somaliland affords Russia to strengthen its footprint in the eastern part of Africa overlooking the Red Sea.

Despite its strategic location and presenting itself as a stable political entity, Somaliland is struggling to gain international recognition. Lack of international recognition also prevents Somaliland from getting economic assistance from international organizations like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Pending formal recognition at international level, Somaliland continues to leverage Berbera Port with various regional and extra regional powers to acquire economic and financial resources.

Mr. Niranjan Marjani is a political analyst and researcher based in Vadodara, India.