Horn of Africa in February 2026: the most important developments in politics
In the Horn of Africa in February 2026, the main political development was Israel's deepening engagement with Somaliland. Israel accepted the credentials of Somaliland's first appointed ambassador and pledged to appoint its own envoy to the breakaway region. Somaliland's Muse Bihi Abdi is due to make his first official visit to Israel the following month, after a recent Somaliland delegation travelled there.
Israeli engagement extended to Ethiopia, where Israeli President Isaac Herzog made a state visit. During the visit, Sahle-Work Zewde reiterated Ethiopia's support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Turkey and Somalia continued to work together. Somali and Turkish officials held talks in Ankara aimed at boosting bilateral cooperation, and a Turkish official stated that Turkey will not allow what it called Israel's aggression to extend into the Horn of Africa.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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