NAIROBI, Aug 27 (Horndiplomat) — Somaliland’s representative to Kenya, Dr. Mohamed Abdilahi Omar, held talks with Israeli Ambassador Gideon Behar in Nairobi on Thursday, discussing Somaliland’s political trajectory and the evolving security landscape in the Red Sea region.
Omar received Behar at the Somaliland Mission in the Kenyan capital, where the two diplomats exchanged views on regional developments and other matters of shared interest.
“We had a warm and engaging conversation covering Somaliland’s history and political trajectory, as well as the current developments in the Red Sea and the evolving political and security architecture around it,” Omar said in a statement posted on X.
Omar described Behar as a friend and thanked the Israeli envoy for visiting the mission.
“Always good to see a friend and exchange views on matters of shared interest and our region,” he added.
Behar is Israel’s ambassador to Kenya and ambassador-designate to Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi and Seychelles. He also serves as Israel’s permanent representative to the United Nations Environment Programme and UN-Habitat in Nairobi, according to the Israeli Embassy in Kenya.
The meeting comes as Somaliland and Israel expand diplomatic engagement following Israel’s formal recognition of Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state in December 2025.
Since then, the two sides have pursued closer relations in diplomacy, security, trade, technology and development. Their growing engagement has drawn attention because of Somaliland’s strategic position along the Gulf of Aden, near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait—one of the world’s most important maritime trade routes.
Security in the Red Sea has become a major international concern amid attacks on commercial shipping and wider political tensions across the region.
Thursday’s talks highlighted increasing diplomatic engagement between Somaliland and Israeli representatives in Africa as the two countries seek to deepen cooperation on regional security and other shared priorities.
(Reporting by Mohamed Duale; Editing by Horndiplomat Desk)
