Mogadishu Somalia’s former intelligence director Fahad Yasin asserted on Thursday that Somaliland obtained no valid recognition from Israel, despite an announcement by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a video call with the breakaway region’s president last Friday. “It is tragic when a leader steers his people toward a path he does not understand politically or legally. Somaliland did not receive any recognition from Israel because such recognition was not passed by the executive or by the Knesset, and even the announced recognition has no basis in Israel’s charters or laws,” Yasin wrote in a social media post. He continued: “As celebrations unfold under the Irro administration, they have secured Netanyahu’s signaturea political decision and nothing beyond an administrative decree. If Netanyahu leaves office or any new developments occur in the region, a new decree could be issued to reverse it, or it could simply be ignored.” Speaking to the people of Somaliland, who have celebrated the announcement since Friday, Yasin stated: “The people of Somaliland should understand that the Irro administration has delivered nothing of legal substance and has merely manipulated their emotions.” Somaliland, which declared independence in northern Somalia decades ago, has long pursued international recognition. Netanyahu’s announcement triggered celebrations across the region, but Yasin’s remarks underscore persistent doubts about the legal and political weight of the purported recognition.
