British News Agency

On Friday, Israel became the first country to recognize Somaliland since the region declared independence from East African nation Somalia in 1991. The country has been mired in a brutal civil war ever since.

Somaliland lies on the Gulf of Aden coast where the Bab el-Mandeb Strait meets the Red Sea, an extremely strategic stretch of global maritime trade routes. It borders Djibouti, which hosts the largest U.S. military base on the African continent.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to meet U.S. President Donald Trump in Florida on Monday. On Friday, the New York Post reported that Trump said the United States would not follow Israel’s lead in recognizing Somaliland’s independence.

The U.S. State Department said on Saturday that it continues to recognize Somalia’s territorial integrity, “including Somaliland territory.”

Qatar described the announcement as “a dangerous precedent and a unilateral act contrary to the principles of international law.”

The African Union, without mentioning Israel, said it “categorically rejects any initiative or action aimed at recognizing Somaliland as an independent entity.”

The European External Action Service (EEAS), the EU’s diplomatic arm, also reacted, saying in a statement on Saturday that it “reaffirmed the importance of respecting Somalia’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity.” The statement also called for “meaningful dialogue” between Somalia and Somaliland.