The Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has officially dismissed reports suggesting that India is planning to recognize Somaliland as an independent nation. The clarification comes after a news website, ‘Inside Africa,’ circulated claims on social media that India might be the next country to follow Israel’s footsteps in recognizing the region. The MEA labeled the post as ‘misleading’ and urged the public to remain cautious of such misinformation.
Somaliland, which declared independence from Somalia in 1991, has recently been in the spotlight after Israel became the first country to grant it formal recognition. While the ‘Inside Africa’ report claimed that India has strategic interests in the Berbera Port and seeks to counter Chinese influence in the Western Indian Ocean, the Indian government has maintained its official stance, distancing itself from these speculative reports.