Israel's recognition of Somaliland is being defended in some quarters as a sovereign diplomatic choice. In reality, it is a strategic intervention into one of the most fragile geopolitical theatres in the world, the Horn of Africa - and one whose consequences are likely to outlast whatever short-term leverage Tel Aviv believes it has gained.

Somaliland's claim to statehood is not new. Its unilateral declaration of independence in 1991, following the collapse of Somalia's central authority, has endured........

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