THE breakaway state of Somaliland has opened an embassy in Jerusalem, six months after Israel became the first country to recognise it as an independent nation.
The opening of the diplomatic mission at a technology park in West Jerusalem came while Somaliland’s President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi was on an official visit to Israel.
During a meeting with the president, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke of “a deep spiritual bond between our peoples”.
But Somalia, which considers Somaliland to be part of its territory, described any engagement with “the secessionist administration of the northern region of Somalia… [as] a violation of its sovereignty”.
Israel’s recognition of Somaliland last December was controversial. Dozens of countries and organisations including China, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the African Union criticised the declaration.
But since then Israel and Somaliland have been cementing ties. Earlier this year Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar made an official visit to Somaliland’s capital, Hargeisa.
Somaliland’s decision to open its mission in Jerusalem rather than Tel Aviv, where most foreign embassies are based, was also praised by Netanyahu.
Why Israel’s recognition of Somaliland as an independent state is controversial
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Israel occupied East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war. It annexed the sector in 1980, in a move not recognised by the vast majority of the international community, and regards the whole of Jerusalem as its “eternal and undivided” capital.
The Palestinians seek East Jerusalem as the capital of their hoped-for future state.
Many countries, including the UK, have kept their embassies in Tel Aviv since the US controversially moved its embassy to Jerusalem in 2018, during President Donald Trump’s first term in office.
Guatemala, Honduras, Kosovo, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay and Fiji also now have embassies in the city.
The Palestinian Authority foreign ministry has condemned “the opening of the alleged embassy by the so-called ‘Somaliland’ in the occupied city of Jerusalem”, according to a statement quoted by the Palestinian News Agency, Wafa.
It “considered this step a flagrant violation of international law and relevant resolutions of international legitimacy”.
But Netanyahu expressed his appreciation for siting the embassy in the city, “our ancient capital”.
He drew a parallel with Somaliland’s call for recognition.