Somalia Warns Israeli Base in Somaliland Risks Regional Crisis

Somalia has warned against any plans to establish an Israeli military base in the breakaway region of Somaliland, saying such arrangements would have no legal standing without approval from Mogadishu and could destabilize an already sensitive region of the Horn of Africa.

The warning follows media reports suggesting Israel may be considering a military installation near the strategic port city of Berbera, located on the Gulf of Aden directly across from Yemen.

Somalia’s state minister for foreign affairs Ali Omar said the federal government would not accept foreign military agreements negotiated outside its authority.

Somalia does not want to see its territory pulled into external confrontations or used in ways that could further destabilise an already sensitive region.

Somalia State Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Omar

Mogadishu emphasized that international security arrangements involving Somali territory must be handled by the federal government.

“The Federal Government is the only authority empowered to enter into international security or military arrangements on behalf of the country,” Omar said. He added that discussions conducted outside that framework lack legal legitimacy.

“Any discussions about foreign military facilities on Somali territory that take place outside that framework simply have no legal standing.”

Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991, following the collapse of the Somali state. For more than three decades, however, it remained unrecognized by any United Nations member state.

That changed in December, when Israel formally recognized Somaliland as an independent state. Somalia continues to reject that recognition and maintains that Somaliland remains part of its territory.

Officials in Somaliland have offered varying responses regarding the possibility of hosting an Israeli military installation.

Reports from Bloomberg and Sweden’s public radio Ekot said Israel had explored the possibility of establishing a base near Berbera.

Somaliland presidency minister Khadar Abdi told Bloomberg that Somaliland aims to pursue a broader strategic relationship with Israel.

He said the possibility of a military base had not yet been discussed but could be examined in the future.

Earlier statements from Somaliland authorities have been inconsistent. On January 1, Somaliland’s foreign ministry denied that military arrangements with Israel were under discussion, describing the relationship as “purely diplomatic”.

However, a ministry official later told Israel’s Channel 12 that the idea of a base was “on the table and being discussed”. In February, Khadar Hussein Abdi said he “could not rule out” the possibility of an Israeli military presence.

The issue comes amid rising regional tensions tied to the US-Israeli war with Iran, which has drawn attention to key maritime chokepoints in the Middle East and the Horn of Africa. The Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20 percent of global oil and gas supplies transit, has effectively been closed during the conflict.

Attention has also shifted to the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and carries roughly 12 percent of global trade.

Yemen’s Houthi movement, which controls large areas of northern Yemen, has previously warned that an Israeli military presence in Somaliland would be viewed as a hostile development and could become a legitimate target.

Meanwhile, the US embassy in Djibouti issued a warning advising American citizens to avoid areas near Camp Lemonnier, the United States’ largest military base in Africa, reflecting concerns that the regional conflict could expand.

Omar warned that rising tensions around strategic shipping lanes could expose civilian populations in the Horn of Africa to new risks.

“The Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden are critical corridors for global trade and regional security, and instability there affects the entire Horn of Africa,” he said. He added that actions exposing Somali communities to wider geopolitical conflicts are not in the country’s interest.

The African Union Peace and Security Council has reaffirmed Somalia’s territorial integrity in the dispute. The council rejected Israel’s recognition of Somaliland and warned against external actions that could deepen instability in the region.

It also condemned external interference in Sudan’s ongoing conflict, calling for a ceasefire and dialogue to reduce tensions across the region.

The AU’s position reflects wider concern among African governments that geopolitical competition in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden could heighten security risks across the Horn of Africa.