JERUSALEM/ ISTANBUL

Israel recognized Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland as an independent sovereign state on Friday, in a move expected to invite a wave of regional condemnations.

“I announced today the official recognition of the Republic of Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement.

Netanyahu, along with Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi “signed a joint and mutual declaration,” the statement said.

“This declaration is in the spirit of the Abraham Accords, signed at the initiative of President Trump.”

The Abraham Accords are agreements signed in 2020 between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco to normalize their relations.

According to the statement, Netanyahu invited the Somaliland president for an official visit to Israel.

There was no immediate comment from the Somali government regarding Netanyahu’s statement.

Somaliland, which has lacked official recognition since declaring independence from Somalia in 1991, operates as a de facto independent administrative, political, and security entity, with the central government unable to assert control over the region, and its leadership unable to secure international recognition of independence.

The Somali government refuses to recognize Somaliland as an independent state, considers it an integral part of its territory, and views any direct deals or engagement with it as a violation of Somalia’s sovereignty and unity.