Somaliland has criticized the comments by Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud regarding Israel’s plan to establish a military unit in the Horn of Africa.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, Mohamud declared that his country will “never accept the presence of Israel in Somalia under any circumstances.”
The President said Israel plans a naval base in Somaliland’s Berbera port near the Bab el-Mandeb strait, depicting the move as part of the “Greater Israel” project.
In its response, Somaliland maintained that Somalia has no authority to determine its foreign relations as both are “separate sovereign states with different governance realities.”
The Foreign Ministry said Somaliland’s diplomatic ties with Israel reflect the two sides’ decision to advance friendly cooperation, development, and regional stability.
Hargeisa called the claim that Berbera would serve as a platform for aggression against other nations “unfounded” and antithetical to Somaliland’s dedication to peaceful relations.
The statement further condemned “threats of force and interference,” advising the Somalian leadership to exercise restraint and address its domestic challenges responsibly.
In June, Somaliland’s President Abdirahman Abdullahi visited Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem, where the leaders affirmed their commitment to the security and stability of the Horn of Africa.
Israel’s military footprint in the region will, among others, enable it to operate a hub to monitor and strike Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels, whose threat to Red Sea shipping began in November 2023.
Somaliland slams Somalia’s opposition to Israeli military presence