Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi “Irro” arrived in Israel on Sunday in the first visit of its kind by a Somaliland leader, marking a new phase in relations between Hargeisa and Tel Aviv after Israel’s recognition of Somaliland as an independent state.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog received Irro in Jerusalem, in a visit Israeli media described as the first state visit by a Somaliland president. The trip is expected to include meetings with senior Israeli officials and discussions on diplomatic, economic and security cooperation.
The visit follows a series of rapid moves in bilateral relations. In May, Herzog received the credentials of Mohamed Hagi as Somaliland’s first ambassador to Israel. Somaliland has also announced plans to open an embassy in Jerusalem, while Israeli reports have pointed to possible Israeli representation in Hargeisa.
Israel recognized Somaliland in December 2025, becoming the first UN member state to take such a step. The move drew strong opposition from Somalia’s federal government, which considers Somaliland part of its territory and rejects any foreign engagement with Hargeisa outside Mogadishu’s authority.
For Somaliland, the visit represents a diplomatic breakthrough in its decades-long quest for international recognition. Since declaring independence from Somalia in 1991, Somaliland has built its own institutions and maintained relative stability, but it has not secured broad recognition from the United Nations, the African Union or most foreign governments.
The visit, however, carries risks. It is likely to deepen tensions with Mogadishu and could expose Hargeisa to wider Arab, African and Islamic criticism, especially because of the political sensitivity surrounding Israel and Jerusalem.
Beyond the diplomatic symbolism, the visit has a clear strategic dimension. Somaliland sits on the Gulf of Aden, close to the Bab al-Mandab Strait and key shipping lanes linking the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean. Its port city of Berbera has become increasingly important in regional competition over maritime access, logistics and security.
From Israel’s perspective, closer ties with Somaliland could offer a political opening in the Horn of Africa at a time when the Red Sea has become a central arena of regional tension, including threats to shipping from Yemen and growing competition among regional and international powers.
The visit also comes as Somaliland expands its foreign partnerships despite Somalia’s objections. Days earlier, Hargeisa opened a new office in Taiwan, prompting criticism from Mogadishu, while its maritime understanding with Ethiopia has continued to fuel tensions between Somalia and Somaliland.
Irro’s trip suggests that Somaliland is moving from a cautious search for recognition to a more assertive diplomatic strategy built around its strategic location. While the visit may strengthen Hargeisa’s international profile, it also risks pushing Somaliland deeper into regional rivalries surrounding the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea.