The people and officials of Somaliland have begun openly calling on the UAE and Ethiopia to follow Israel’s lead in recognizing Somaliland as a sovereign state.
During a recent public rally in Hargeisa—held to express support for the UAE following the Mogadishu government’s decision to sever ties with Abu Dhabi—demonstrators urged the Emirates to follow Israel’s lead and become the next nation to grant Somaliland official recognition. According to Horn Diplomat, a Hargeisa-based media outlet, thousands joined the demonstration. The outlet quoted the rally’s organizer as saying: “We are calling on the UAE to stand with the will of the Somaliland people.”
Hargeisa officials also cited the UAE as Somaliland’s largest foreign investor, pointing to major infrastructure initiatives such as the Berbera Port development and the Berbera–Wajaale corridor—a strategic trade route linking the Red Sea to Ethiopia.
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Similarly, in an interview with The Reporter Magazine, Abdullahi Mohammed Duale—Somaliland’s Special Envoy to the African Union and IGAD—called on the Ethiopian government to follow Israel’s lead in recognizing Somaliland as a sovereign state. Abdullahi argued that Ethiopia, as Somaliland’s most consequential neighbor, must move decisively. “We are talking about very high stakes,” the Special Envoy noted.
Abdullahi indicated that Ethiopia has long waited to be the second nation—not the first—to recognize Somaliland. “We have already established relations with Israel and also with America, so Ethiopia no longer has an excuse,” he said. “Ethiopia has to take the lead. It has to come out now. It is now or never.” He added that while Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is “trying his best,” the time for an official announcement is now. “Otherwise, they are losing out. We are helping Ethiopia; Hargeisa is helping.”
The history of the partnership has faced challenges. In 2018, Ethiopia, Somaliland, and the Emirati logistics company DP World signed a deal granting Ethiopia a 19 percent stake in the port, with DP World holding 51 percent. However, Somaliland authorities reported that the deal lapsed in 2022 after Ethiopia failed to meet the required conditions to acquire its stake by the deadline.
Asked about the current status of the contentious MoU signed in January 2024, Abdullahi said, “That is yesterday. But today, we are starting a new one,” while suggesting that Somaliland remains fully committed to moving forward with the deal.
