Thursday March 20, 2025

Hargeisa (HOL) – Somaliland has denied reports that it is seeking diplomatic recognition from the United States and Israel in exchange for accepting Palestinian refugees from Gaza, dismissing a report by Israel’s public broadcaster, KAN, as inaccurate and misleading.

Foreign Minister Abdirahman Dahir Adan criticized the report, which he said misrepresented his recent interview with Israel’s KAN media. In the interview, he was asked about former U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal to resettle displaced Gazans, a topic that has sparked international debate.

“Somaliland has not engaged in any discussions or agreements regarding Palestinians. Somaliland’s quest for recognition is based on its unique history, democracy, and decades of self-governance,” Adan wrote on Twitter.

Adan dismissed Al Jazeera’s reporting as inaccurate and misleading, accusing the network of misrepresenting his remarks. “Recent Al Jazeera speculation is baseless and distorted Somaliland’s clear and consistent position on diplomatic engagement,” he added.

Adan reportedly said that Somaliland was “open to discussing anything,” but only with governments that recognize its legitimacy” – to Israel’s Kan broadcaster in response to a question regarding a report about talks on relocating Gazans to Somaliland. 
KAN report triggered widespread criticism on social media, with many Somalilanders on X (formerly Twitter) accusing the news outlet of misquoting Adan. Some users urged the minister to formally distance himself from the article, arguing that it could misrepresent Somaliland’s longstanding diplomatic position.

In a follow-up statement, Adan reiterated that no government had approached Somaliland regarding Gaza refugees. His remarks were later translated and published by The Jerusalem Post.

Somaliland, a self-declared independent state in the Horn of Africa, has sought international recognition since breaking away from Somalia in 1991. It maintains informal diplomatic ties with several nations but has yet to gain formal recognition as a sovereign state.