Somaliland president meets Eric Trump and Israel’s Isaac Herzog at Davos

Somaliland’s president held separate talks with his Israeli counterpart, as well as the US leader’s second son, as the breakaway region continues to seek international recognition and foreign investment.

Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi met with Isaac Herzog and businessman Eric Trump at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

“Our discussions focused on strengthening and advancing bilateral relations between the Republic of Somaliland and the State of Israel,” Abdullahi said in a message on X about the meeting with Herzog.

Last month, Israel became the first country to recognize Somaliland – 35 years after declaring independence from Somalia.

President “Cirro,” as he is known in Somaliland, shared footage on social media of the closed-door event, which was reportedly organized by the Greek House Davos program, a private forum for discreet high-level gatherings.

Abdirahman Bayle, an adviser to Somaliland’s leader, told the BBC that Eric Trump had “expressed interest in Somaliland and the opportunities it offers.”

“Among the issues we discussed were global investors in the livestock and agriculture sectors, so that we can industrialize these sectors and export to the rest of the world,” Bayle added.

Livestock constitutes the territory’s main export, mainly to Saudi Arabia.

Eric Trump does not hold any official position in the US government, but holds a senior position within the Trump Organization, which manages his family’s businesses. The BBC contacted its representatives for comment but did not receive a response.

Somaliland occupies a strategic position on the main maritime routes of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

During the discussions, the President highlighted Somaliland’s openness to investment, highlighting the deep-water port of Berbera as a potential logistics hub for trade and energy infrastructure.

Bayle told the BBC his government’s approach had changed.

“For the first time, we are not asking the world for help,” he said. “We offer our resources.”

The Israeli president described the discussions as positive, posting on X: “I was delighted to meet here in Davos with the president of Somaliland.

“I welcome the establishment of diplomatic relations between us and look forward to deepening cooperation for the benefit of our two peoples.”

Earlier this month, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar visited Somaliland for the first time and said Israel was committed to advancing relations with Somaliland “with momentum.”

Somaliland has governed itself since it separated from Somalia in 1991 after the collapse of the central government in Mogadishu. It held its own elections, issued its own currency and established its own security forces, thus maintaining relative stability compared to much of southern Somalia.

However, its declaration of independence had not been internationally recognized until Israel’s decision in December. The recognition drew criticism from Somalia, the African Union and countries including China and Turkey, who said it violated Somalia’s territorial integrity.

The United States has defended Israel, accusing its critics of double standards.