Somalia, Israel, and North Western State of Somalia Navigate a Fraught Sovereignty Dispute
Opinion | Sovereignty Snafu: Israel’s Recognition of North Western State of Somalia Tests Somalia — and the Rules-Based Order
Israel’s formal recognition of North Western State of Somalia in late December 2025 did more than tweak a diplomatic fault line in the Horn of Africa; it jolted a foundational principle that underpins Africa’s postcolonial settlement. In Mogadishu, the move was read as a direct challenge to Somalia’s sovereignty and an unsettling precedent for how borders — and the norms that protect them — can be…