The full story of the Somaliland crisis and the roots of the secessionist conflict

The issue of Somalia's unity and the preservation of its integrity is considered Regional The cornerstone of stability in the Horn of Africa region, where Arab states and the international community emphasize that Somalia is a single, indivisible state.

Despite the challenges posed by the Somaliland region’s unilateral declaration of independence three decades ago, and the uproar caused by Israel in the past period due to its recognition of Somaliland as a state and the appointment of its first ambassador to it, the top priority remains preserving the sovereignty of the Somali Federal State and rejecting any moves that threaten its national unity or perpetuate the division of the country.

The roots of the Somaliland problem

The story begins in the colonial era of the 19th century, when Somali lands were divided between different international powers. The north, “present-day Somaliland,” was a British protectorate, while the south was under Italian colonial rule. This cultural and administrative disparity created an early divide between the two regions.

On June 26, 1960, Somaliland gained its independence from Britain, and just five days later, the people of the north rushed to unite with the south, which had gained independence from Italy, to form the Republic of Somalia.

The motivation at the time was the dream of a greater Somali nationalism, but with time and interventions, an armed opposition movement emerged known as the “Somali National Movement”.

Civil War and Declaration of Secession “1991”

Tensions reached their peak in the 1980s, with violent clashes between then-Somali President Siad Barre and separatist movements in the north. With the collapse of the Somali state and the fall of the regime in 1991, the separatist movements in the north decided, at a conference known as “Borao,” to unilaterally cancel the unity and declare the independence of Somaliland.

Claims of recognition of Somaliland

Since declaring its independence from Somalia in 1991, the region has not received any recognition until Ethiopia and Somaliland signed a memorandum of understanding in 2024 allowing landlocked Addis Ababa to lease 20 kilometers around the port of Berbera, giving it access to the Red Sea for 50 years for its maritime and commercial purposes, in exchange for recognizing Somaliland. The memorandum was rejected by Mogadishu and the Arab League.

Following that, in December 2025, Israel became the first UN member state to officially recognize the independence of Somaliland. The latest update came yesterday when Israel announced the appointment of its first ambassador to the breakaway region of Somaliland in Somalia, a few months after Tel Aviv recognized the Somali region as an independent state, which sparked international protests.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry stated that the committee for appointments of heads of diplomatic missions, chaired by Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, approved on Wednesday evening the appointment of Michael Lotem as Israel's ambassador to Somaliland.