Addis Ababa–In an interview with the Ethiopian newspaper Addis Standard, UK Deputy Ambassador to Ethiopia Mr. Luke Bullock stated that his government is not willing to recognize Somaliland, despite Israel’s announcement of its official recognition of the Republic of Somaliland on December 26, 2025. He revealed that the UK is currently focused on pacification and stabilization efforts in Somalia, and that recognizing Somaliland would not help to find a solution to the current problems in the region. He said, “Our goal is to express support for ongoing efforts to stabilize Somalia. We believe that granting international recognition to Somaliland will not assist in achieving this goal. We encourage Hargeisa and Mogadishu to engage in dialogue.” He also emphasized that a peaceful solution involving Somalia, Somaliland, and Ethiopia is the only way to overcome the current obstacles, and that the UK has been involved in these efforts for a long time. The UK ruled Somaliland for more than 70 years during the colonial era and granted its independence on June 26, 1960. It is among the countries that have offices in Hargeisa and works closely with Somaliland. However, the UK has repeatedly stated that it is not ready to recognize Somaliland. In a recent interview with former Turkish Prime Minister Mr. Ahmed Davutoglu, he stated that the UK was the closest country to recognizing Somaliland in 2012 but ultimately blocked the move. He said, “I stopped a plan spearheaded by the UK in which it wanted European Union countries to recognize Somaliland.” He also mentioned that former UK Foreign Secretary Mr. William Hague convinced EU countries to recognize Somaliland by highlighting its stability and democracy, while Somalia was in chaos and stateless. However, Davutoglu argued that this would undermine Turkish efforts in rebuilding Somalia and could potentially open the door for recognition of the Republic of Turkey in North Cyprus. The UK government has repeatedly stated that Hargeisa and Mogadishu must engage in dialogue, and it hosted the first Somaliland-Somalia talks in London in 2012.
