HARGEISA (SD)– Somaliland’s opposition Kulmiye Party has reaffirmed its support for Somaliland’s international recognition and its diplomatic relationship with Israel, including the recently established Somaliland embassy in Jerusalem.

Speaking on behalf of the party, former Somaliland Minister of Information Abdiweli Suufi Jibril said Kulmiye was not adopting a new position but reaffirming its long-standing policy.

“The Kulmiye Party has made its position clear. It supports Somaliland’s recognition and diplomatic relations with Israel, including the Somaliland embassy in Jerusalem,” he said.

The Somaliland government maintains that international recognition, the establishment of the embassy, and the cooperation agreement signed with Israel are interconnected elements of the broader relationship between the two sides. Government officials, including President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, have stated that the embassy is located in West Jerusalem, which they describe as Israeli territory, and that its establishment formed part of the framework for diplomatic recognition and bilateral cooperation.

The issue has generated debate within Somaliland’s political landscape. Former President Muse Bihi Abdi and the opposition Kaah Party have both expressed support for Somaliland’s pursuit of international recognition but have opposed locating the embassy in Jerusalem.

Kaah Chairman Mohamud Hashi Abdi has previously stated that his party’s objection concerns the embassy’s location rather than recognition itself.

The issue has also exposed internal divisions within the Kaah Party. Two deputy chairmen publicly challenged the party’s position on the Jerusalem embassy; one was subsequently removed from office, while the other has continued to voice support for both Somaliland’s recognition and the cooperation agreement with Israel.

Israel remains the only country to have formally recognized Somaliland, and the two sides have signed cooperation agreements covering security, economic development, and other sectors, which were recently approved by Somaliland’s Cabinet.

Kulmiye’s endorsement gives the Somaliland government bipartisan backing from one of the country’s major political parties on its relationship with Israel. However, continued disagreement over the embassy’s location highlights that while support for international recognition is broad, the diplomatic approach to achieving it remains a subject of domestic political debate.