Gideon Saar: Israel foreign minister visits Somaliland after recognising its sovereignty

In a controversial move, Israel became the first nation to acknowledge Somaliland as an independent state.

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Gideon Saar said Israel was determined to advance relations with Somaliland "with momentum", while President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi hailed his visit as a "big day".

Last month Israel became the first country in the world to recognise Somaliland, which declared independence from Somalia more than 30 years ago.

Somalia sees Somaliland as being part of its territory, and condemned Saar's visit as "unacceptable interference" in its affairs.

Saar posted on X that his talks with Abdullahi focused on the "entirety of our relations".