Somaliland expects to reach a trade agreement soon with Israel, the first country to recognise its independence, and is prepared to offer rights to valuable mineral deposits as part of the deal, its leader said in an interview with Reuters.
Israel formally recognised the Republic of Somaliland, a northeastern region of Somalia that has claimed independence for decades, in late December.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would pursue cooperation in agriculture, health, technology, and the economy.
Speaking to Reuters via video link from Dubai, where he attended the World Government Summit, Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi said no bilateral economic deal has yet been finalised, but Somaliland expects to sign “a partnership agreement.”
“At the moment, there is no trade, and there is no investment from Israel. But we are hoping 100% (for) their investment, their trade, and hopefully we will engage with the business people and the government of Israel soon,” he said.
“Somaliland is a very rich country in resources, minerals, oil, gas, marine, in agriculture, energy and other sectors… We have meat, we have fish, we have minerals and they (Israel) need them. So trade can start from these main sectors,” Abdullahi added. “The sky is the limit.” He said Somaliland would, in return, seek access to Israeli technology.
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Somaliland’s mineral wealth includes large lithium reserves, which are critical for batteries and electric vehicles.
In 2024, the Saudi mining company Kilomass secured an exploration deal there for lithium and other critical minerals.
Abdullahi expressed gratitude to Israel for being the first to recognise Somaliland and said the region also hopes for future military cooperation, though the establishment of Israeli military bases has not been discussed.
He confirmed that he had accepted an invitation from Netanyahu and would visit Israel soon, though no date has been set. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar visited Somaliland a month ago.
Abdullahi said he expects all United Nations member countries to eventually follow Israel’s lead, including the United Arab Emirates and the United States, but acknowledged that recognition takes time.
He said he has a good working relationship with the U.S. and believes President Donald Trump will “someday” recognise Somaliland. Last month, he presented investment opportunities at a dinner in Davos attended by Trump’s son, Eric.
Israel’s recognition of Somaliland has drawn strong criticism from Somalia, as well as China, Turkey, Egypt, and the African Union.
Somaliland also maintains ties with the UAE, where DP World is a major investor in the Berbera port. “The UAE has not decided officially yet but they are just one of the countries we expect to recognise Somaliland,” Abdullahi said. He added, “We also expect that the Saudi government will make the same investment in Somaliland.”
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Image Credit: The Jerusalem Post
