Hargeisa, Somalia — Somaliland’s former president Muse Bihi Abdi has demanded that authorities publish the details of a landmark agreement that led Israel to recognise the breakaway territory, warning against any secret pact that harms Muslims.
In an interview with local media, Abdi said Somalilanders had a right to know what the government promised in exchange for the December 26 diplomatic breakthrough.
Israel’s move made it the first UN member state to formally recognise Somaliland as an independent country, ending over three decades of diplomatic limbo but igniting a geopolitical storm in the Horn of Africa.
“The government has not yet disclosed what was agreed upon with Israel, and they are expected to do so,” Abdi said.
He emphasised that Somaliland’s constitution strictly forbids any measure that undermines Islam or exploits the suffering of Muslim communities.
‘Unconstitutional’
“If it turns out that the agreement violates our constitution, harms any Muslim, or fails to equally serve our mutual interests, then we will speak out about it,” said the former military officer.
Abdi, who served as president from 2017 until his defeat in the November 2024 election to current leader Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, remains a highly influential figure in the region’s complex clan-based political landscape.
He is the highest-ranking Somaliland politician to publicly call for the disclosure of the Israel pact.
“Our constitution does not allow anything that harms Muslims or goes against our religion,” Abdi added. “Any such action would be unconstitutional, and we categorically reject it.”
Within Somaliland, the diplomatic triumph has been shadowed by deep public unease over Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
Prominent religious leaders have pushed back against the government’s pursuit of normalisation. Respected scholar Sheikh Mustaf Harun recently argued that establishing diplomatic relations risked legitimising the occupation of Palestinian land.
The unrest has spilled onto the streets. Protests denouncing the recognition have erupted in multiple cities, including the Somali capital, Mogadishu, and the western Somaliland city of Borama.
Red Sea base
Israel’s unprecedented recognition has reshaped the security architecture of the Red Sea.
Analysts note the move provides Israel with a critical strategic foothold near the Gulf of Aden and the Bab al-Mandab strait.
The maritime corridor is a vital global shipping chokepoint that has been heavily targeted by Yemen’s Houthi rebels during the Gaza war.
The lack of public details has fuelled widespread speculation.
Somalia’s federal government, led by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, fiercely rejected the deal as an assault on its sovereignty.
Mogadishu has repeatedly alleged that the pact involves hosting an Israeli military base and the forced relocation of Palestinians displaced from Gaza.
Authorities in Hargeisa have officially denied agreeing to accept displaced Palestinians.
However, mixed signals have emerged regarding military cooperation. In January, a Somaliland foreign ministry official, Deqa Qasim, indicated to Israeli media that a military base had been discussed “in principle”.
Speculation intensified after Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar visited Hargeisa on January 6 for high-level talks, a move Mogadishu condemned as an illegal provocation.
Regional backlash
The diplomatic shift has drawn fierce condemnation from regional powers and multilateral organisations, raising fears of proxy conflicts.
The African Union, which recently concluded its annual summit in Addis Ababa, urged Israel to retract its “unilateral” decision, warning that it sets a dangerous precedent for secessionist movements across the continent.
The dispute also reached the UN Security Council, with several nations warning of regional destabilisation.
During a recent visit to Ethiopia, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned that the recognition “benefits nobody”.
“The Horn of Africa should not become a battlefield for foreign forces,” Erdogan said alongside Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
Turkey trains Somali forces and operates a major military facility in Mogadishu, positioning itself as a key backer of Somalia’s territorial integrity.
Some Somali officials have accused the United Arab Emirates of encouraging the recognition to secure its own strategic interests, an allegation Abu Dhabi has not publicly addressed.
A test of legitimacy
Both Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement and the Somalia-based, Al-Qaeda-linked militant group Al-Shabaab have vowed to treat any Israeli presence in Somaliland as a legitimate military target.
Somaliland, a former British protectorate, declared independence in 1991 following a brutal civil war and the fall of Somali dictator Siad Barre.
Since then, it has built its own institutions, currency, and security forces, and has held multiple peaceful elections that contrast sharply with the insecurity plaguing much of Somalia.
The current government maintains that formal ties with Israel will unlock vital foreign investment and security cooperation, and may prompt other Western nations to follow suit.