Somaliland president receives hero’s welcome in Hargeisa after Israel visit

HARGEISA (Somaliguardian) – Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro returned to Hargeisa on Thursday to a jubilant public reception following a week-long working visit to Israel, where he opened Somaliland’s first embassy abroad in Jerusalem, a move that has intensified debate across Somalia, the Horn of Africa and the wider Muslim world.

Hundreds of residents lined Hargeisa’s main avenue to welcome the president as his convoy moved through the city under tight security. Videos circulating online showed Irro standing through the roof of his vehicle and waving to cheering crowds gathered along the route.

Somaliland officials say visit marked a significant diplomatic milestone for the region after Irro officially inaugurated the territory’s first embassy abroad in Jerusalem. The move came after Israel recognized Somaliland as an independent state last year, becoming the first United Nations member state to do so.

The diplomatic breakthrough has drawn criticism from Somalia’s federal government in Mogadishu, members of Somaliland’s religious establishment, and multiple Muslim and Arab countries, underscoring the sensitivity of the growing relationship between Hargeisa and Tel Aviv.

During his visit, Irro toured several sites of historical significance in Israel, including the grave of the founder of Zionism Theodor Herzl, where he laid a wreath, and a Holocaust memorial.

The Somaliland leader also held talks with Israel’s president and prime minister and signed new agreements with the Israeli government, although details of the accords have not been disclosed publicly.

In another notable meeting, Irro met Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, who said Israel and Somaliland had maintained cooperation for years through undisclosed channels.

The president’s return comes amid heightened regional attention over reports alleging an expanding Israeli security presence in Somaliland.

Recent reports claimed that Israel deployed a special unit consisting of 50 troops to Somaliland. According to those reports, the personnel are all of African descent, with most said to be Ethiopians, enabling them to blend into the local population and operate without attracting attention. Both Somaliland and Israeli authorities have rejected the reports as “fake.”

Separate reports have also alleged that Israel established an intelligence facility in Somaliland and is considering the development of a naval base in the territory as part of efforts to counter threats to shipping in the Red Sea.

The developments have drawn reactions from regional actors. Earlier this week, Yemen’s Houthi movement warned that any Israeli presence in Somaliland would be regarded as a “red line” and could become a “legitimate target” for missile attacks.

The controversy has placed Somaliland at the center of an increasingly complex geopolitical contest involving diplomatic recognition, Red Sea security, regional alliances and strategic competition stretching from the Horn of Africa to the Middle East.

As Somaliland pursues broader international engagement and seeks to strengthen ties with foreign partners, the implications of its growing relationship with Israel are expected to remain a focus of attention for governments, analysts and political observers across the region.

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