Alwaght- The Israeli moves in Africa aimed at building alliances with African actors have drawn worries of the Africans, especially when Tel Aviv is circumventing the official states. Recently the Somalian information minister voiced Mogadishu's strong opposition to Tel Aviv naming a diplomatic envoy to the autonomous region of Somaliland, warning that the measure can create a new hot spot in Horn of Africa region.
Daud Aweis Jama in a televised address condemned any Israeli move to recognize Somaliland as an independent state, adding that "the Somalian government will deal with the issue through contacts with the United Nations."
Suggesting that these moves can create new hot spots in the Region, Jama called on Tel Aviv to avoid measures that will be destabilizing to the region.
On Saturday, the foreign ministers of ten nations, Egypt, Somalia, Sudan, Libya, Bangladesh, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Turkey, and Indonesia, issued a blistering condemnation of Israel’s appointment of a representative to the breakaway region of Somaliland, denouncing the move as a flagrant violation of the sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia. In a joint statement, the ministers voiced categorical rejection of all unilateral actions that undermine national unity or erode sovereignty, while reaffirming steadfast support for Somalia’s unity, territorial integrity, and its legitimate institutions as the sole expression of the Somali people’s will.
Somaliland dispute
Acting as an autonomous region since 1991 following the collapse of the central Somalian government, Somaliland has not been recognized as a UN member state. However, since December 2025, Israel unilaterally recognized its full independence and Israeli Foreign Minister Gidon Saar was the first senior Israeli official to visit it in January 26.
Hassan Sheikh Mahmud, the president of Somalia, in mid-February announced a series of political and legal measures to counter this recognition. He said that steps will be taken to ensure unity of Somalia and regional stability in close coordination with the country's partners, particularly Saudi Arabia.
Shortly after the Israeli prime minister announced the recognition of Somaliland last year, an overwhelming majority of Arab and Islamic nations swiftly fired back with a barrage of individual and joint statements condemning the move and reaffirming their unwavering support for Somalia's unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. Then-Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit likewise denounced Israel's recognition of the breakaway region as a "provocative," "unacceptable" act that threatens regional security.
The (Persian) Gulf Cooperation Council and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation also moved quickly to reject Israel's unilateral step. Somaliland holds significant strategic weight in the Horn of Africa due to its proximity to the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and its commanding position over the Persian Gulf of Aden, a chokepoint where Israel has long sought to establish a foothold and expand its influence in various ways.
Israel's detrimental influence in Africa
The Israeli use a set of ways to get foothold in African countries. Over the past years, Israel has provided the African governments with spying and wiretapping equipment and softwares like Pegasus to take away the dissent and suppress the journalists, political opponents, and those supporting the Palestinian cause in Africa. The spying even affected South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa. The software can decode even encrypted connections of iPhones and android devices.
In recent years, Tel Aviv has courted African leaders by dangling access to advanced surveillance technology, a tactic aimed squarely at securing favorable votes at the UN and within the African Union. Helping leaders cling to power, even at the expense of human rights across the continent, has proven an effective tool for Israel in its campaign to win friends in Africa.
Israeli firms and operatives have also meddled in the electoral campaigns of nearly every African nation, chipping away at the continent's most stable democracies. A stark example emerged during Botswana's 2014 elections, when dozens of Israeli consultants with ties to Mossad set up a "war room" for the ruling party.
In 2020, Ghana's The Herald newspaper further exposed the machinations of Israeli intelligence figures who sought to sway the outcome of the country's impending presidential race.
There are similar reports about Israeli intelligence push to sway results before 2020 presidential elections in Malawi.
Also, Israeli groups on social media have run campaigns of fake news across Africa. In 2015, Israelis tapped emails of an opposition candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, for Nigeria elections. The hacked email data were used against Buhari in Facebook and WhatsApp campaigns.
