TEL AVIV, May 19 (Reuters) – Somaliland, a breakaway region of Somalia, will set up an embassy in Jerusalem soon, its ambassador said on Tuesday, after Israel became the first country to formally recognise the self-declared republic.
• In turn, Israel is expected to set up an embassy in Somaliland’s capital Hargeisa, Ambassador Mohamed Hagi said in a post on X.
• Israel recognised Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state in December, a move Somalia rejected and termed a “deliberate attack” on its sovereignty.
• Somaliland has enjoyed effective autonomy – and relative peace and stability – since 1991, when Somalia descended into civil war, but the breakaway region had until December failed to receive recognition from any other country.
• Over the years, Somalia has rallied international actors against any country recognising Somaliland.
• The former British protectorate hopes that recognition by Israel will encourage other nations to follow suit, increasing its diplomatic heft and access to international markets.
• Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said on Tuesday that the opening of the embassy in Jerusalem would be another significant step in strengthening relations with Somaliland.Once opened, the Somaliland embassy would be the eighth embassy in Jerusalem, he said.
• Most countries maintain their embassies in Israel in Tel Aviv, although the United States moved its embassy to Jerusalem during President Donald Trump’s first administration. Fiji, Papua New Guinea and a small number of other countries have also established embassies there.
• Israel considers all of Jerusalem to be its capital, a position not widely recognised internationally. The United Nations and most countries regard East Jerusalem as territory occupied by Israel.
• Palestinians seek East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state encompassing the West Bank and Gaza.
(Reporting by Alexander Cornwell;Writing by George Obulutsa;Editing by Alexander Winning and Gareth Jones)
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