A regional cooperation group will host a public delegation from Somaliland in Israel next week, marking a rare and symbolic step in ties following Israel’s formal recognition of the self-declared African state two weeks ago.
The visit, scheduled for Nov. 16–11, is being organized by Sharaka, an organization that promotes cooperation between Israel and Arab and Muslim countries. It will be a civilian, open visit rather than a formal diplomatic mission, but organizers described it as a historic milestone reflecting mutual interest in building long-term relations based on dialogue, trust and practical cooperation.
The delegation will include prominent figures from Somaliland’s civil society, academia, media, technology and public life. During the visit, participants are expected to take part in an educational and professional program introducing them to Jewish history, the history of Israel, government institutions, civil society, academia, innovation and technology, as well as meetings with Israeli policy and regional experts.
The delegation is scheduled to visit Yad Vashem, Jerusalem’s Old City, communities near the Gaza border, the site of the Nova music festival attack and the southern city of Rahat. Meetings are also planned with research institutes and civil society organizations. A central focus of the program will be understanding antisemitism internationally and the role of education, dialogue and Holocaust education in combating it.
Sharaka said the visit reflects its vision of expanding the spirit of the Abraham Accords beyond formal agreements and creating new models of civilian partnership between Israel and additional countries in the Middle East, Africa and beyond.
Participants are expected to include Said Ibrahim, a leading figure in Somaliland’s technology and media sector and founder and editor-in-chief of the English-language Somaliland Chronicle, as well as Hamza Mohamed, a senior civil society leader involved in democracy promotion, youth engagement, agriculture and climate resilience.
Somaliland, which declared independence from Somalia in 1991 but is not widely recognized internationally, faces significant development challenges, particularly in water, energy, agriculture, health and education. Water scarcity is considered one of the country’s most urgent problems.
Following instructions from Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, MASHAV, Israel’s national development cooperation agency, has drawn up an initial action plan focused on Somaliland’s water sector. In the coming months, two professional training programs are expected to be held in Israel for officials from Somaliland’s national water authority and municipal water corporations. Israeli advisers are also expected to travel to Somaliland to help implement Israeli technologies and working methods and strengthen local capacity.
Officials said further development and assistance programs could follow in areas where Israeli expertise is in demand in developing countries, including desert agriculture, health care, innovation, sustainability education and wastewater reuse.