Not Sure What the Reason is for This

But Israel has becomes the first nation to formally recognize Somaliland, a region of what is generally considered to be Somalia which declared independence in 1991.

My guess is that the Israelis want to use the inevitable exchange of diplomatic personnel to derive some sort of military or intelligence advantage in Yemen, but I'm not sure what the Somalilanders get out of this.

Needless to say, the response of other African countries has been to preserve the (dysfunctional) colonial boundaries that they were left.  This has been one of the bedrock principles of every multinational project in Africa.

When there have been separations, South Sudan and Eritrea come to mind, they have been drawn on old colonial lines.

The interesting thing here is that Somaliland was colonized by the British, and the rest Somolia by Italy, and the union was largely created by British rat-fuckery on the way out.  (See India-Pakistan, Israel, Sri Lanka, Uganda, etc.  (In the latter two, they literally imported people from other parts of the empire to create ethnic tension)

I'm not quite sure how this is different from South Sudan and Eritrea, but the rest of Africa apparently sees this as an existential threat, which is what is worrying.

There is a lot that nations do in the face of a perceived existential threat. (Think of Biafra)

Israel has become the first country to recognise Somaliland as a sovereign state, a breakthrough in its quest for international recognition since it declared independence from Somalia 34 years ago.

The Israeli foreign minister, Gideon Sa’ar, announced on Friday that Israel and Somaliland had signed an agreement establishing full diplomatic relations, which would include the opening of embassies and the appointment of ambassadors.

The recognition is a historic moment for Somaliland, which declared its independence from Somalia in 1991 but until now had failed to be recognised by any UN member states. Somaliland controls the north-west tip of Somalia, where it operates a de facto state, and is bordered by Djibouti to the north-west and Ethiopia to the west and south.

 ………

The AU said it “firmly rejects” Israel’s move, warning: “Any attempt to undermine the unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Somalia ... risks setting a dangerous precedent with far-reaching implications for peace and stability across the continent.”

I don't thing that this is faux outrage.

………

Israeli analysts have said recognition of the breakaway state could be in Israel’s strategic interest, given Somaliland’s proximity to Yemen, where Israel has conducted extensive airstrikes against the Houthi rebels over the past two years.

A report in November by the Institute for National Security Studies, an Israeli thinktank, said: “Somaliland’s territory could serve as a forward base for multiple missions: intelligence monitoring of the Houthis and their armament efforts; logistical support for Yemen’s legitimate government in its war against them; and a platform for direct operations against the Houthis.”

As I noted, I understand why the Israelis wanted this, but I'm not sure what Somaliland gets out of this, except, perhaps, the first recognition, which is likely the hardest to get.