Somaliland marks the first Independence Day following the recognition of Israel Gallery News

Somaliland has celebrated its first year of independence after being recognized by Israel, but not everyone in the breakaway region of Somalia is celebrating its new friend.

Thousands of people gathered in the capital of Hargeisa on Monday for military parades and traditional dances. Excitement grew after Israel’s decision in December to recognize Somaliland’s independence – the first country to do so since Somalia’s independence in 1991.

“Somaliland has achieved all the necessary conditions for a credible, peaceful, law-abiding and democratic country,” President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi told the crowd. “The question Somaliland is asking the world is no longer if we deserve recognition, but when.”

Somaliland’s leaders say the region’s stability, democracy and location on the Gulf of Aden – close to major shipping routes and conflict-ridden Yemen – make it an ideal military and commercial hub.

He hopes that other partners, including the United States, the United Arab Emirates and Ethiopia, will follow Israel’s lead, but recognition has not yet been extended.

The division remains highly controversial. The African Union and many international organizations oppose legalization, fearing it could strengthen other separatist groups on the continent.

Israel’s move has also divided opinion within Somaliland, and almost all Muslims. Some heartily welcomed the new relationship, with Israeli flags appearing on homes and businesses. Some view the agreement with great skepticism, especially as Israel continues its war in Gaza.

Local activists say scores of people – including clerics and young men carrying Palestinian flags – have been arrested during protests against the new relationship.

Somaliland no longer controls the territory it claims. The newly formed government in the north-east of Somalia has claimed that some parts of the east are under its control. The Somaliland army attacked local families in 2023, hospitals, schools, mosques and residential areas. Amnesty International says hundreds or thousands have been killed or injured, and nearly 200,000 people have been displaced.

“The conflict will start again,” warned Ahmed Ali Shire, the North East state councilor in Las Anod, a city still scarred by recent battles. He added that Israel’s intervention risks a repeat of the intervention that started Somalia’s civil war in the 1980s.

In Hargeisa, the emotion is greater but not the same. Resident Dahir Omar Bile, 42, fears that Israel’s actions in Gaza will damage Somaliland’s quest for recognition.

“Somaliland fought for independence but I cannot trust (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu. They killed children my age,” he said.

Many also worry about giving back. Yemen’s Houthi rebels, backed by Iran, have threatened to attack Somaliland if Israel deploys an expected military force there.

“Houthi threats have scared many people,” Bile said.