The TRT Afrika opinion piece by Fiqi Abdirizak Omar is not analysis; it is naked propaganda dressed up as sober commentary. Funded by the Turkish state and published on a platform that serves Ankara’s geopolitical agenda in the Horn of Africa, the article systematically distorts facts, recycles Mogadishu talking points, and ignores Somaliland’s 35-year reality of independent, democratic self-governance—all to defend a crumbling “unified Somalia” narrative that exists only on paper and in diplomatic communiqués.
Israel’s Recognition: A Deliberate Strategic Breakthrough, Not a “Photo Opportunity”
On 26 December 2025, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu formally recognised the Republic of Somaliland as a sovereign and independent state—the first United Nations member to do so. This was not an informal video-call stunt or casual diplomatic flirtation, as the TRT piece falsely claims. It was a signed joint declaration, followed by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar’s official visit to Hargeisa in January 2026. The move explicitly invoked the Abraham Accords framework and opened pathways for cooperation in agriculture, health, technology, maritime security, and potentially defence.
Yet TRT Afrika insists the declaration “did little more than reaffirm Somalia’s long-standing position” as a unified state. This is not merely wrong; it is wilfully blind. Israel’s decision broke a 35-year international taboo rooted in post-colonial African dogma against border changes. By treating Somaliland as a de facto state with legitimate agency, Israel directly challenged the fiction that Mogadishu exercises meaningful sovereignty over the then north—Republic of Somaliland.
Geopolitical Chess in the Red Sea: Why Israel Moved, and Why Turkey Panics
Somaliland straddles one of the planet’s most critical chokepoints: the Gulf of Aden entrance to the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. With Houthi attacks disrupting global shipping, Red Sea security has become a top-tier strategic priority. Israel seeks a reliable partner on the African side of the strait to counter Iranian-backed threats, secure trade routes, and expand influence in the Horn.
This aligns with parallel interests: UAE control and investment in Berbera port, Ethiopia’s desperate need for reliable sea access,
Growing Western interest in countering Chinese, Turkish, and Qatari footholds in Mogadishu.
Turkey, meanwhile, has invested heavily in Somalia’s federal government—military bases, training programmes, reconstruction contracts, diplomatic cover—precisely to maintain leverage in the region. A recognised, stable Somaliland open to Israeli, Emirati, and Ethiopian partnerships directly threatens Ankara’s position. TRT Afrika’s hysterical tone and invention of conspiracies (e.g., “forcible relocation of Palestinians” to Somaliland) are classic deflection tactics designed to inflame anti-Israel sentiment and rally support for Mogadishu’s irredentist claims.
The Myth of Somaliland’s “Collapse”: Contested Borders ≠ Loss of Control
The article triumphantly cites the formation of “Guban State” in Awdal and the consolidation of SSC-Khaatumo (North Eastern State) within Somalia’s federal system as proof that Somaliland’s authority is disintegrating. This is a gross exaggeration. Sool, Sanaag, and dubbed Cayn (SSC) regions have long been contested border zones where clan loyalties, federal inducements, and local grievances intersect. These developments reflect localised power struggles—not the implosion of Somaliland’s core state apparatus. Hargeisa retains uncontested control over the heartland: the capital, Berbera port, major cities, currency (Somaliland shilling), passports, elections, police, and armed forces.
Protests in Borama occurred; they were contained. Somaliland’s repeated peaceful, multi-party elections stand in stark contrast to Somalia’s perpetual transitional governments, al-Shabaab insurgency, and dependence on AMISOM/ATMIS foreign troops.
International Hypocrisy and the Slow Erosion of “One Somalia”
Yes, the AU, EU, IGAD, OIC, GCC—and others—initially condemned Israel’s move and reaffirmed commitment to Somalia’s “territorial integrity.” This reflects fear of setting a precedent that could unravel fragile African borders elsewhere (e.g., Ambazonia, Tigray, Darfur).
But norms shift when strategic necessity collides with dogma. Israel’s recognition is the first crack in the dam. No African state has followed—yet—but the taboo has been broken. When great powers prioritise hard security over abstract principles, diplomatic inertia gives way. The article’s claim that “no European country signaled support” and “Davos did not translate into institutional legitimacy” seems so for now, but it is irrelevant to the longer game: Somaliland is already leveraging the breakthrough for access, visibility, and future partnerships.
TRT Afrika’s Double Standards Laid Bare
Turkey loudly champions “self-determination” when it suits Ankara—Palestine, Northern Cyprus, Uyghurs—but denies it to Somaliland, whose claim rests on:
Independent existence as British Somaliland before 1960
Voluntary (and failed) union with Italian Somalia
Documented genocide and repression under Siad Barre
35 years of uninterrupted de facto independence and democratic governance.
TRT Afrika and its writers overlook these facts because Turkey’s interest lies in preserving a weak, dependent Mogadishu that requires Turkish military and economic patronage. A successful, recognised Somaliland would expose the hollowness of that patronage and open the door to rival powers.
Conclusion: Reality on the Ground Trumps Diplomatic Fiction
Israel’s recognition did not “manufacture” Somaliland’s legitimacy; it acknowledged what has existed since 1991. Mogadishu’s “One Somalia” policy is sustained not by effective control, but by international fear of precedent and the inertia of outdated norms. Somaliland’s path forward remains what it has always been: continued stability, democratic consolidation, and pragmatic alliances with powers that value results over rhetoric.
TRT Afrika can keep printing Mogadishu-approved op-eds. The geopolitical map of the Horn is already redrawing itself—whether Ankara likes it or not.
Mohamoud Ali Walaaleye