Somalia Accuses Israel of Seeking Military Bases in Breakaway Somaliland Region

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The government of Somalia on Sunday accused Israel of attempting to establish military bases in the self-declared republic of Somaliland, characterizing the move as a threat to national sovereignty and regional stability following Israel’s formal recognition of the breakaway territory.

According to a report by AlArabiya, Somali Minister of Information Daud Aweis stated that Israel has engaged in operations that violate Somalia's territorial integrity and confirmed that the Parliament has formally rejected the recognition.

Speaking in an intervention with Al Arabiya/Al Hadath, Minister Aweis emphasized that Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, announced on Friday, constitutes a "flagrant violation of Somalia's sovereignty." He alleged that the diplomatic move is a precursor to a strategic military expansion, stating explicitly that "Israel wants to establish military bases in the Somaliland region."

The minister further declared that Mogadishu would not accept any "settlement operations" within the territory, which the international community has largely treated as an autonomous region within federal Somalia since its unilateral declaration of independence in 1991.

The accusations from Mogadishu come amidst a rapidly escalating diplomatic rift in the Horn of Africa. Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud delivered a speech before an extraordinary session of the Somali Parliament on Sunday, directing scathing criticism at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

President Mohamud asserted that Netanyahu has committed "the greatest violation of Somali sovereignty historically" by legitimizing the secessionist administration in Hargeisa.

The Somali government’s stance has been reinforced by a broad coalition of regional actors.

On Saturday, 21 countries and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) issued a joint statement rejecting Israel's recognition of the Somaliland region. The signatories, which include key regional powers such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Iran, expressed full support for Somalia's sovereignty and rejected measures that would disrupt the country's unity.

Minister Aweis noted that despite the tensions, dialogue with the Somaliland region remains ongoing. He indicated that the United Nations Security Council is expected to confirm the official international position regarding the Somaliland issue, implying that Mogadishu anticipates continued global backing for its territorial claims.

This diplomatic confidence aligns with the stance of Somalia's Foreign Minister, Abdisalam Abdi Ali, who recently confirmed that the government has submitted an official request to Israel to retract its recognition.

Foreign Minister Ali described the Israeli move as an "aggressive and provocative step" representing a direct threat to regional security.

He reiterated that Somalia's sovereignty and territorial integrity are "red lines that accept no compromise," while simultaneously stressing the government's commitment to a peaceful solution through continued dialogue with Somaliland authorities to preserve national unity.

The dispute stems from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s announcement on Friday, that Israel had officially recognized the Republic of Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state. In a statement published on X, Netanyahu framed the decision as being "in the spirit of the Abraham Accords," referencing the U.S.-brokered normalization agreements.

He outlined plans to expand relations through cooperation in agriculture, health, technology, and the economy, and extended an invitation to Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi for an official visit.

However, the response from the Arab and Islamic world has been uniformly negative. The joint statement released by Jordan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the recognition as a "grave violation" of international law and the UN Charter.

The ministers warned that legitimizing the recognition of parts of sovereign states sets a dangerous precedent and risks fueling instability far beyond Somalia’s borders.

They also explicitly rejected any potential link between the recognition of Somaliland and efforts related to the Palestinian issue, dismissing such connections as "unequivocally rejected in any form as a matter of principle."

Somaliland, located in northern Somalia along the coast of the Gulf of Aden, declared independence following the collapse of the central government in 1991.

While it has maintained its own governing institutions and relative stability for decades, it has not received official recognition from any UN member state until the Israeli announcement. The African Union and the United Nations have consistently upheld Somalia’s territorial integrity to prevent fragmentation across the continent.

The Somali government continues to insist that any recognition of Somaliland is "null and void" under international law. Minister Aweis reaffirmed Mogadishu’s commitment to the diplomatic path to address disputes, calling on all concerned parties to respect the principles of state sovereignty.

As the situation develops, the allegation of planned Israeli military bases introduces a new security dimension to a crisis that already involves complex geopolitical rivalries in the strategic Red Sea region.