Protests erupt in Somaliland after Israeli recognition, expressing solidarity with Palestine

Protests erupted in the breakaway Somali region of Somaliland on Sunday following Israel's announcement that it would formally recognise the territory as an independent state.

Videos posted on social media showed protesters taking to the streets of Boroma, a town about 50km west of Somaliland's regional capital Hargeisa, where they chanted slogans against Israel and waved Palestinian flags.

"Free, Free Palestine," the large group of protesters could be heard chanting as onlookers cheered them on.

"We don't want separatists," others chanted.

Israel on Friday became the first country to formally recognise the self-declared republic as sovereign state, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying Israel would seek immediate cooperation with Somaliland in the fields of agriculture, health, technology and the economy.

It was not immediately clear why Israel made the declaration or whether it was expecting something in return.

Earlier this year, news reports had said that Israel and the US had approached Somaliland, among others, about accepting Palestinians from Gaza as part of US President Donald Trump's plan at the time to forcibly resettle the territory's population.

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