By Dr Mohamed Abdulkarim Abdi
This week, something rare happened in global politics: truth beat bureaucracy.
In a bold, clear-eyed move aligned with the principles long championed by President Donald J. Trump—peace through strength, sovereignty over chaos, and results over rhetoric—Israel formally recognized Somaliland as a sovereign, independent nation.
And here’s the uncomfortable fact many diplomats won’t say out loud: this recognition was long overdue.
For more than 30 years, Somaliland has done everything the international system claims to reward—without receiving any of the benefits.
While much of the Horn of Africa struggled with coups, militias, and foreign interventions, Somaliland chose a different path-No UN peacekeepers, No foreign troops, No international trusteeship, just local elders, community reconciliation, and a people determined never to return to chaos.
They rebuilt from the ground up. They secured their borders. They held democratic elections. They transferred power peacefully—not once, but repeatedly.
That’s not theory. That’s performance.
So, recognition of Somaliland by the international community as already done by Israel courtesy of its Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu isn’t a gift, it’s a fact check.
Let’s be clear: recognition doesn’t create Somaliland. It acknowledges what already exists.
Somaliland meets every real-world test of statehood:
• Defined territory
• Permanent population
• Effective government
• Capacity to engage internationally
· National currency
· National military
If those standards matter anywhere, they matter everywhere, Somaliland included.
Israel’s decision reflects the kind of realism President Trump brought to foreign policy—recognizing facts on the ground, rewarding allies who deliver, and refusing to let outdated diplomatic thinking block progress.
On behalf of the people of Somaliland—resilient, peace-loving, and unwavering in their patriotism—I extend profound appreciation to the Prime Minister of Israel for honoring the legacy of recognizing Somaliland. This moment represents the realization of a long-held aspiration, patiently waited for over thirty-four years by millions of Somalilanders who sacrificed, endured, and never relinquished their conviction that justice would ultimately prevail. Recognition is not a gift; it is a right we have earned through history, responsibility, and restraint. The moment has arrived.
We respectfully call upon our international partners, particularly the United States and other Western democracies, to take principled leadership and follow this historic step. Somaliland’s case is not merely political; it is moral, legal, and strategic.
Somaliland didn’t rebuild on handouts. It rebuilt through enterprise, trade, and trust. Its private sector kept families fed, towns connected, and commerce moving—even when the world looked the other way.
That matters. Because nations built on responsibility, not dependency, make better partners.
Somaliland isn’t asking for charity. It’s asking for recognition so it can trade openly, secure investments, and contribute to regional security—from counterterrorism to Red Sea trade routes.
This moment sends a challenge to the international community—especially the United States and its allies. If peace, democracy, and self-determination are more than slogans, then Somaliland deserves a seat at the main table and dine with the rest of the world.
Recognition strengthens peace.
Recognition rewards responsibility.
Recognition empowers allies who actually deliver.
Ignoring success while subsidizing failure is how instability spreads.
To the people of Somaliland—at home and across the diaspora—this recognition belongs to you. Same to the elders who chose reconciliation, the mothers who rebuilt families and the youth who refused to inherit conflict.
This isn’t the end of the journey. It’s the beginning of a new chapter—one where Somaliland stands openly among nations, contributing to security, trade, and peace.
Somaliland exists.
Somaliland has endured.
And now, finally, the world is starting to catch up.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr Mohamed Abdulkarim Abdi is an International Relations expert, political scientist and a commentator on Horn of Africa politics
