Israel has been the first country in the world to recognise and establish full and official diplomatic relations with Somaliland, an action that demonstrates, once again, its audacity, arrogance, absolute lack of respect for International Law, aggressiveness, expansionist desires and the validity of its objective of total domination of the Middle East; therefore, and with him, and although for the moment he denies it, also on the part of the United States for whom Israel is its forward base in such an area and for that purpose.

Somaliland is another of those disastrous results of the twisted nineteenth-century colonialist machinations in the area, in pursuit solely and exclusively of their interests, mainly on the part of the United Kingdom, but also of France and Italy. Until 1960, Somaliland was a British protectorate, when it merged with Italian Somaliland to form the then newly independent Somalia.

But it was all a disaster, because for two decades the Somali regime of Siad Barre subjected Somaliland to abusive impositions –specifically on its ethnic majority formed by the “Isaaq clan” that claimed its identity against the rest of the Somali population– so that after the overthrow of Barre in 1991 Somaliland chose to declare independence. 

A fact to which the UN did not oppose, although it did not give support either; Somalia has always claimed this territory as its own.

Since then, Somaliland, although kept in a kind of limbo supported by an entente of the international community because no one is interested in opening a diplomatic front as slippery as the birth of a new nation and the consequent redefinition of borders, especially in an area as delicate as it is complicated, has achieved three things: 

• To consolidate its internal stability, to govern itself with remarkable efficiency compared to many of its neighbors, to hold elections periodically and as a Muslim country to reject and remain on the margins of Islamic fundamentalism.

• Maintain trade relations, in some cases very close, with Israel, the United States, the United Kingdom, the Emirates, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Turkey, Denmark, Taiwan and Kenya, although none of them recognized him and established diplomatic relations.

• That in 2005 the UN declared : “The fact that the ‘union between Somaliland and Somalia’ was never ratified and moreover failed to enter into force between 1960 and 1990 makes Somaliland’s quest for recognition historically unique and self-justifying in African political history.”

Now, when Israel has taken such a step, unilaterally and unexpectedly breaking the discreet consensus that has existed until now, alarm bells have gone off, as no one is unaware of the immense geostrategic importance in all aspects of the Horn of Africa in which Somaliland occupies a primordial place, which is why twenty-one governments and organizations in the Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia,  Egypt, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, Qatar, Jordan, Algeria, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Libya, Palestine, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Comoros, Djibouti, Gambia, Maldives, Nigeria and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation) have rushed to issue a joint statement condemning the Israeli decision “In light of the grave repercussions for peace and security in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea region,  and its serious impacts on international peace and security, which also reflects Israel’s clear and complete disregard for international law”; not to mention Somalia that considers the event a direct attack on its national sovereignty.

Regarding this geostrategic importance, the following should be highlighted, in particular.

• The U.S. has a very important permanent military base in neighboring Djibouti.

• Somaliland faces fractious Yemen, a country that harbors piracy in the area and is the main backer of the Houthi rebels who are very active against Israel.

• Iranian supplies to the Houthis and other Islamic groups sponsored by him in the Middle East are bound to pass through the Gulf of Aden.
• China’s commercial penetration in the area, as well as its incessant search for new sources of energy and minerals to cope with its exponential development, has been as intense as in other areas of the globe.
• The fact that Taiwan, which had already been maintaining trade relations with Somaliland to the consequent Chinese displeasure, has praised the Israeli decision has sat particularly badly in Beijing for setting a precedent that obviously affects it very directly.

Although Trump at the end of his recent summit with Netanyahu said nothing about the Israeli decision, the US ambassador to the UN, Tammy Bruce, has done so, who at the Security Council meeting in which the case has been discussed has declared that Israel has every right to establish diplomatic relations with whomever it deems necessary.  which implies direct support for Tel Aviv’s decision; if the Israeli step was not previously agreed with Washington.

The Israeli objective is clear: on the one hand, to go a step further and take advantage of any others in its strategy of domination of the entire Middle East, either by diplomacy as is the case for now (and those of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, etc.), or by arms with partial invasions (Lebanon and Syria), or by imposing docile regimes (Syria),  either with selective attacks against personalities in any of the countries that make it up (physical elimination of Iranian generals or leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah), or with limited aggressions (Iran), so that no rival remains; on the other, to serve as an advanced base for US globalist interests in the area whose “manifest destiny” is identical to that of the Zionist “chosen people” to displace both Russia and China, its only two rivals.

But for Israel, or rather for Netanyahu, a third objective may have weighed heavily in making this decision: to have a very sparsely inhabited and extensive territory where to house Gazans, if not all of them at least most of them, a “final solution” that has been studied by his government for some time.

What is certain is that with the recognition of Somaliland by Israel, with the conniving silence, for now, of the United States, and the actions that it is immediately going to develop in that country (development credits, intensification of trade relations, installation of industries, strengthening of ports and others in which those of a military nature will be not few,  in addition to the location of electronic surveillance bases), Tel Aviv has broken a consensus and has opened another Pandora’s box in an area as sensitive as it is complicated, the consequences of which are yet to be seen.

Thus, it is most likely that despite the sorrows for many, it is very possible that as a first reaction, although little by little and over time, both will be forced to do the same so as not to be at a disadvantage, which if it occurs, or even if it does not occur extensively,  on the one hand, it will force Somaliland to define itself on the geostrategic chessboard of the area in which it is located, which is not easy for it due to the position it occupies in an area as complex as it is unstable, in which there are so many and such contrary interests at stake, which will undoubtedly pose an enormous challenge for its authorities. 

Because it is not necessary to rule out, but to ensure, direct or indirect interference depending on whether each one sees his interests threatened; on the other hand, we will have to take into account from now on on this geostrategic chessboard the position that Somaliland decides to occupy or, given its weakness, better said the one they leave, which there will be of everything, especially more of the latter.