“Israel is returning to Zambia. Israel is returning to Africa,” said Israeli foreign affairs minister Gideon Saar in August. Israel reopened its embassy in Zambia’s capital, Lusaka, for the first time in Zambia’s history. Months later, on December 26, 2025, Israel became the first country to recognize Somaliland, a disputed breakaway territory of Somalia. Weeks later, Israel suggested it build a military base in the territory as a way to strategically attack Houthis in Yemen. Despite claims from Somalia that the Somaliland recognition and subsequent diplomacy-building with the territory will foster regional tensions, Israel has continued to stoke this strategic partnership as the only UN state to recognize them.

For the last few years, Israel has worked to develop its diplomatic alliances with African nations throughout the continent as a way to refurbish its reputation after its war in Gaza. Israel’s “charm offensive” in Africa comes amidst international calls of genocide by organizations like the United Nations, including South Africa’s ICJ case against the state for its military operations in Gaza.

For the last three years, Israel has gone coast to coast, from South Sudan to Guinea, on a push to both sustain and gain diplomatic alliances amidst its political ostracization. Israel faced continent-wide backlash regarding its offensive in Gaza, with Comoros President, Azali Assoumani, chastising “the genocide Israel is committing in Palestine under our nose.” In January 2024, African Union Commission Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat stated, “We demand an immediate end to this unjust war against Palestinians and implementation of the two-state solution.” One month later, the African Union revoked Israel’s observer status for its war in Gaza. Despite Israel drawing extensive disapproval from the continent, many African countries aligned their stance with Israel and its years-long attacks in the Gaza Strip. Kenya, Ghana, and the Democratic Republic of Congo were a few of the many that took to declaring their support for Israel. 

Prior to Oct. 7, Israel had established deep diplomatic ties with African nations such as Morocco and Sudan to expand its sphere of influence beyond the Middle East, with countries like the United Arab Emirates. In Morocco, Israel recognized its complete jurisdiction over the Western Sahara in exchange for Morocco’s recognition of Israel as a state. With Sudan, it became the third Arab nation to normalize ties with Israel, and in exchange, received “aid and investment from Israel, particularly in technology and agriculture, along with further debt relief.” 

Before the Abraham Accords, Israel rekindled and fostered ties with Chad and Malawi.

Although Israel has been striving to restore its reputation, it might have additional objectives, particularly in the Horn of Africa. Aside from working with Somaliland to secure a strategic advantage point against Houthis in Yemen, Israel is simultaneously fostering ties with other African nations that support but haven’t officially recognized Somaliland’s sovereignty, including Kenya and Ethiopia. 

Israel’s motivations on the continent have been quite clear: to suppress pro-Palestinian sentiment and strengthen its regional hold on the Horn of Africa to thwart threats from Iranian proxies like the Houthis and Somalia’s al-Shabab. Working with African nations like the DRC has even provided Israel with more access to its natural minerals, like diamonds. However, what’s in it for African nations?

The most beneficial aspect of Israel’s charm-like diplomacy is the access to aid. From 2009-2021, Israel’s aid agency, the Mashav, reportedly sent over $45 million USD in aid to East African countries, including Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Kenya. In addition to that, Israel provides enhanced cyberintelligence and espionage technologies to African countries to track dissidents, including in Kenya.

While Israel provides substantive aid in the form of financial assistance and the latest technologies, African nations working with Israel also benefit from international traction for their mutual interests on the continent. For example, Israel’s recognition of Somiland benefits Israel in maintaining national security efforts against the Houthis while also providing maritime access to Ethiopia. Moreover, as Israel is in a battle for influence on the continent against external actors like Turkey and Saudi Arabia, Israel can provide African countries something their competitors can’t: military development.

For years, Israel has supplied South Sudan’s government to squash violence and insurgencies from opposition groups, reportedly violating an international arms embargo. Moreover, Israeli company Sparta Security Solutions has allegedly been training Equatorial Guinea’s special forces since 2023 and the Rapid Intervention Battalion in Cameroon since 2020 for $1,000 per day.

Israel’s history in Africa is extensive and convoluted, but its most recent diplomatic expedition through the continent has sought to rekindle lost ties and strengthen existing ones. For Africa, collaborating with Israel has granted access to advanced technologies and cyber intelligence, and has strengthened its ability to secure its interests with other African countries.