Monday , June 8, 2026 (Baidoa Online) -Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro is expected to visit Israel next week amid reports that Somaliland is preparing to open an embassy in Jerusalem, a move that has drawn strong opposition from Somalia and criticism from parts of the Muslim world.
According to the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, President Irro is expected to travel to Israel between 15 and 17 June, where he is reportedly scheduled to meet Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The report said a central focus of the visit would be the opening of a Somaliland embassy in Jerusalem, which Somaliland reportedly recognizes as Israel’s capital.
Neither Somaliland nor Israel has officially confirmed the reported visit. Israeli media noted that two previous plans for President Irro to visit Israel were postponed for undisclosed reasons.
The reported trip comes months after Israel became the first country to formally recognize Somaliland, the self-declared republic that declared independence from Somalia in 1991. The recognition marked a major diplomatic milestone for Somaliland, which has sought international recognition for more than three decades.
Reports of an embassy opening in Jerusalem have intensified political tensions with the Federal Government of Somalia, which rejects Somaliland’s claim to independence and considers the territory an integral part of Somalia.
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has previously condemned plans to establish a Somaliland embassy in Jerusalem, describing the proposal as a serious violation of Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Speaking in Mogadishu, he argued that such a move would be unacceptable given the disputed status of Jerusalem and Somalia’s longstanding support for Palestinian statehood.
Somalia does not recognize Israel and has consistently supported the Palestinian position that East Jerusalem should serve as the capital of a future Palestinian state. Successive governments in Mogadishu have maintained this policy and opposed any actions perceived as undermining it.
The issue has also attracted international attention. The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation has previously expressed deep concern over reports that Somaliland intends to open an embassy in what it described as occupied Jerusalem, warning that such a move could further complicate regional and diplomatic tensions.
If confirmed, President Irro’s visit would represent one of the most significant diplomatic engagements in Somaliland’s history and could further reshape political dynamics in the Horn of Africa, where the question of Somaliland’s international recognition remains highly sensitive.