Somaliland Open to Welcoming Gazans in Exchange for “Recognition”—What’s the Truth?

The Hebrew Broadcasting Authority “Kan” claimed that the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Somaliland does not rule out the possibility of accepting Palestinian refugees from Gaza, provided that his country receives formal recognition.

In a report, the authority stated that the Foreign Minister of the region, which declared its independence from Somalia, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi, said: “What is important for us is obtaining recognition, so we can show the world that we are a peaceful and democratic state, and then we can talk about other matters.” However, he did not explicitly mention the reception of Gazans, which the authority interpreted as an “implicit acceptance” of the idea.

The Associated Press quoted American and Israeli officials stating that the United States and Israel have been in contact with officials from Sudan, Somalia, and the breakaway region of Somaliland to resettle Palestinians from the devastated Gaza Strip.

The minister added: “We do not want to speculate on issues that have not been discussed yet. Any country interested in discussing specific matters with us must first establish diplomatic relations and open missions in Somaliland.”

Earlier, the Foreign Ministers of both Somalia and Somaliland had stated that they had not received any proposal from the United States or “Israel” regarding the resettlement of Palestinians from Gaza, and Mogadishu firmly rejected any such steps.

Somali Foreign Minister Ahmed Maalim Fiqi stated that his country rejects “any proposal or initiative from any party that undermines the Palestinian people’s right to live in peace on their ancestral land.”

In contrast, the Foreign Minister of Somaliland, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi, told Reuters: “There are no discussions with anyone regarding Palestinians.”

Unlike Somalia, Somaliland has enjoyed relative peace since declaring its independence in 1991. However, it has not received recognition from any other country. Its government has expressed hope that U.S. President Donald Trump would support their cause.

Somalia rejects Somaliland’s calls for recognition as an independent state, affirming that issues of sovereignty and territorial integrity are non-negotiable.