Israel’s Foreign Ministry announced that Somaliland officially inaugurated an embassy in Jerusalem on Monday, according to Arab News.
This move came months after Israel formally recognized the self-declared republic in the Horn of Africa.
“Honoured to host my dear friend President @Abdirahmanirro at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during his historic State Visit to open Somaliland’s embassy in Jerusalem,” Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar posted on X.
Somaliland
Somaliland became part of the Somali Republic in 1960, but then broke away in 1991, declaring independence and establishing a de facto state.
Despite having informal diplomatic ties with multiple nations, Somaliland’s sovereignty had never been recognized by any permanent UN member state until Friday, December 26.
In December, Israel formally recognized Somaliland as a sovereign state, marking the first nation to sign a joint declaration with Somaliland’s President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi.
Moreover, Israeli Foreign Ministry announced that Israel has appointed its first ambassador to Somaliland in April.
“I’m proud of the privilege I had to write the first pages in the story of the Israel-Somaliland relationship,” Saar added.
Jerusalem
With the opening of Somaliland’s embassy in Jerusalem, the self-declared state becomes the eighth country to establish an embassy in the city, joining the United States, Guatemala, Honduras, Kosovo, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay and Fiji.
Normally, Tel Aviv is home to several embassies as Jerusalem is considered one of the most sensitive and delicate issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, prompting most countries to avoid establishing their diplomatic missions in the city.
Israel has occupied east Jerusalem since 1967 and later annexed it. However, the international community did not recognize this move.
Jews claim the city as their eternal and undivided capital while the Palestinian Authority wants east Jerusalem to be the capital of a future Palestinian state.
US President Donald Trump took a unilateral decision in 2017 by recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Consequently, the US transferred its embassy to Jerusalem on May 14, 2018.
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