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 Somaliland portal |
Foreign relations of the Republic of Somaliland are the responsibility of theMinistry of Foreign Affairs of theRepublic of Somaliland.[1] The region's self-declaration of independence (fromSomalia on 18 May 1991, after the start of the ongoingSomali Civil War) remains unrecognised by theinternational community.[2][3]
Due to its status, the Republic of Somaliland currently has official contacts with only a few nations, such asEthiopia, which has signed a strategic and infrastructure agreement,[4][5] and theUnited Arab Emirates (UAE), which has signed a concession agreement to manage thePort of Berbera.[6] Somaliland has establishedde facto embassies with nations such as theUnited States, as well asTaiwan.[7] International recognition as asovereign state remains at the forefront of the government's current foreign policy. Other key priorities include encouraging international aid andforeign direct investment.
Most multilateral organisations and countries in the international community support the territorial integrity (i.e. territorial unity) of Somalia and its central government, theFederal Government of Somalia during the ongoing civil war and oppose Somaliland's secession.[8]
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Somaliland has political contacts with neighbouringEthiopia[9] andDjibouti,[10] as well as withBelgium,[9]Canada,[11]France,[12]Ghana,[9]Kenya,[11]Norway,[11]Russia,[13]South Africa,[9]South Sudan,[11]Sweden,[9] theUnited Kingdom,[9][14] theUnited States,[15] andYemen.[11]
In 2007, a delegation led by President Kahin was present at theCommonwealth Heads of Government Meeting inKampala,Uganda. Somaliland has applied to join theCommonwealth underobserver status, but its application remains pending.[16]
In 2011, the foreign ministers of South Africa andTanzania said that they would not recognise Somaliland and preferred that Somalia remained a single country.[17] In 2012, South Africa and Ethiopia again re-affirmed their continued support for Somalia's government, territorial integrity, and sovereignty at the mini-summit on Somalia in New York on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly.[8] However,South Africa has formally declared that Somaliland fulfils theMontevideo Convention criteria for statehood in addition to it accepting the Somaliland passport.[18]
TheAfrican Union (AU) is considering Somaliland's application for membership to the bloc and has indicated a willingness to deal with it as an 'outstanding case'.[18]
Somaliland has had decent economic relations withEthiopia since theEritrean–Ethiopian War, as a large part of Ethiopian exports have been handled via the port of Berbera, sinceEthiopia can no longer useEritrean ports ofMassaua andAssab. These relationships stand in contrast to the "traditional hostility" towards Ethiopia felt by many Somalis in other areas, and against the background of low support among many northern Somalis forSiad Barre'sOgaden War against Ethiopia and theSomali National Movement which Ethiopia assisted financially.[19] So far, however, these have not led to official Ethiopian recognition. On 1 January 2024, Ethiopia and Somaliland signed apact giving Ethiopia access to the Red Sea in return for eventual recognition, making it the first UN member state to do so.[20][21][22]
In late July 2019,Somaliland PresidentMuse Bihi Abdi led a delegation to theRepublic of Guinea at the invitation ofPresidentAlpha Conde.[23][24]
In December 2020, Kenya and Somaliland agreed that a Kenyan consulate would open in Hargeisa, and to commence direct flights between Hargeisa andNairobi, both by March 2021.[25]
Israel was one of 35 countries that recognisedSomaliland's brief independence in 1960.[26] However, it does not currently hold direct diplomatic ties withSomaliland. In February 2010, Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson Yigal Palmor was quoted in theHaaretz Daily that his government was ready to recognise Somaliland again.[27][28] However, he stated that the Somaliland government has not contacted the Israeli government to seek ties.
In 1995, former PresidentEgal ofSomaliland also wrote a letter to Prime MinisterYitzhak Rabin seeking to establish diplomatic ties between the two countries.[28] In September 2001, it was also reported thatSomaliland was looking towards Tel Aviv after Saudi Arabia banned imports of livestock from the country due to Rift Valley fever.[29] During this time several Israeli businessmen were also in the nation's capitalHargeisa.[29] However, PresidentKahin, who succeededEgal, is reported to have avoided approaching Israel to prevent straining fragile relations with theArab and Muslim world, which it heavily relies on for its livestock trade.[28] In August 2020, Somaliland expressed its support for theIsrael–United Arab Emirates normalization agreement. In 2024 Times of Israel media source stated that Israel'sSomaliland recognition would boost security for the country, after UK/USA Planing to open representative offices inHargeisa, Somaliland's capital.[30] In March 2025 Israeli and American government officials spoke with Somaliland, as well as Somalia and Sudan regarding the resettlement of Gazans displaced by the2023-2025 Israel Hamas War.[31]
In November 2009, a Pakistani delegation composed of Sheikh Mansoor Ahmed, Secretary General of the rulingPakistan Peoples Party, Shafiq Ahmed Qureshi, Peace Representative, former diplomat and Senior Consular Officer, and Abdul Razak Dinnaari, an ambassador, visited Somaliland and proposed the opening of a Somaliland trade office in Pakistan.[32] In February 2020, Pakistan's Look Africa Policy Initiative conference was held in Nairobi, Kenya.[33]
In July 2020, Somaliland announced that it would establish a representative office inTaiwan (Republic of China).[34] The Taiwan Representative Office officially was established in Hargeisa the next month.[35] In August, Taiwan opened its office in Somaliland, which was reciprocated by Somaliland by opening an office in Taiwan on 9 September 2020.[36]
Though not recognising Somaliland and accrediting the building to Somalia, Turkey has an active consulate inHargeisa. Turkey with a representative office in Hargeisa and member of Nato ,[37] Since 2013, Turkey has been amediator between the Somali and Somaliland governments.[38] In 2019,Somali Minister of Foreign AffairsAhmed Isse Awad stated that Turkey plays a leading role in the mediation process.[39] Somaliland rejected the Turkeys mediation role between Ethiopia and Somalia in a seaport deal by Somaliland in 2024.[citation needed]
In 2012, Genel Enerji, an energy company mostly owned byÇukurova Holding, signed a deal with the Somaliland government to search oil reserves within the nation.[40] Genel oil blocs found major crude oil vein around 2 Barrles of crude oil in bahadhamal region of genel west bloc, Genel energy is seen as a success in Somaliland- Turkey relations.
In February 2017, both houses of theparliament of Somaliland accepted the bid from thegovernment of the UAE for theUnion Defence Force (UAE) to establish a military base inBerbera along with the redevelopment of the Berbera Airport.[41] TheUnited Arab Emirates has appointed a newrepresentative to Somaliland which will be the first Arab nation to send a diplomat to Hargeisa.[42] On 13 March 2021, Abdulla Al-Naqbi was appointed as UAE ambassador toSomaliland.[43][44] In March 2025 Israeli and American government officials spoke with Somaliland, as well as Somalia and Sudan regarding the resettlement of Gazans displaced by the2023-2025 Israel Hamas War.[45]
Somaliland and the United States do not have official diplomatic relations. However, Somaliland operates a representative liaison office inWashington, D.C., but it does not have formal diplomatic status under the provisions of theVienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.[46] Both countries do maintain contacts as delegations from both sides have met in the past. The U.S. policy regarding Somaliland is to first allow theAfrican Union to deliberate the question regarding the status of Somaliland as an independent nation.
TheUnited States engages Somaliland on policy matters such as democratization andeconomic development. In 2023, the United States provided $1,000,000 in aid through theInternational Republican Institute to support training for parliamentarians and other key programs in preparations for the2024 Somaliland presidential election. The U.S. expected to provide an additional $1,500,000 in continued support for thedemocratization process in Somaliland following the elections.[47] In March 2025 Israeli and American government officials spoke with Somaliland, as well as Somalia and Sudan regarding the resettlement of Gazans displaced by the2023-2025 Israel Hamas War.[48]
In 2002, Germany considered recognising Somaliland and establishing a military base in the country. They did not do so and the naval base was instead established in Djibouti.[49][50][51]German naval ships already operated from Berbera.[49] In September 2012, at the mini-summit on Somalia on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly, the German government re-affirmed its continued support for Somalia's government, territorial integrity and sovereignty.[52] In 2019, the German ambassador to Kenya and Somalia visited Hargeisa and met withMuse Bihi Abdi.[53]
In April 2014, the Sheffield City Council in theUnited Kingdom voted to recognise the right to self-determination of Somaliland, the second British city council to do so, after the Bristol City Council[when?]. The gesture however was ceremonial and not legally binding.[54] On 26 March 2015,Cardiff Council followed suit[55] and later on 18 May 2015, the UK Independence Party announced their support for the recognition ofSomaliland.[56] This was followed by the Conservative UK government's official opening of a British Office inHargeisa, the capital of Somaliland. In 2020, theUnited Kingdom, Denmark and the Netherlands approved four agreements with the government of Somaliland to improve critical infrastructure to supporteconomic growth.[57] In July 2019, theBirmingham City Council recognised the right to self-determination of Somaliland, becoming the 5th in Britain. On 4 July 2023,Gavin Williamson proposed a bill to theUK Parliament that would require theUnited Kingdom to recognise theRepublic of Somaliland.[58]
Dr.Essa Kayd serves as theForeign Minister of Somaliland.[59]
Somaliland maintains representative (liaison) offices in several countries, but these missions do not have formal diplomatic status under the provisions of theVienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
Such offices exist in the following cities:
The following foreign governments have diplomatic offices inHargeisa:
Denmark – Programme office
Djibouti – Consulate; headed by a diplomat with the rank of consul general
Ethiopia –Consulate; headed by a diplomat with the rank ofambassador.[69][70][71]
Kenya – Liaison office[72][73][74][75]
Taiwan –Representative office
Turkey – Consulate; headed by a diplomat with the rank ofconsul general
UAE – Representative Office[76][77]
UK – Liaison office
United States 2025 Lobbying Discussions and Media sources: Lobbying and media sources Hargeisa Representative office
As of February 2010,[Out of date] theYemeni government is reportedly planning to open a diplomatic office in Hargeisa.[78][79]
Somaliland has sought full international recognition as asovereign state in theUnited Nations since theSomaliland War of Independence's conclusion in 1991. Somaliland has diplomatic ties with many countries, including representative offices. Hargeisa told DNE Africa in a 2025 report that several countries, including theUnited States,Israel, and theUnited Arab Emirates, are in the final stages of an agreement to grant official recognition to the country of Somaliland.
Somaliland issues its ownpassports, recognised by certain nations. If and when Somaliland achieves its goal of recognition, a number of countries have stated that they will allow Somalilanders to travel to their countries, subject to visa regulations.[citation needed]
Somaliland is a member of theUnrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO).[28]
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