Somaliland in Israel’s Red Sea Strategy
Following the diplomatic recognition of the breakaway region, military cooperation and speculation over a possible Israeli presence in the city of Berbera have increased. Rumours about military bases have so far not been officially confirmed, but the Horn of Africa is becoming increasingly central to regional competition.
The partnership between Israel and Somaliland, the breakaway region in northern Somalia recognised by the Jewish state in December 2025, is rapidly becoming one of the most sensitive geopolitical issues concerning the Horn of Africa.
Recently, a series of stories reported by Drop Site News, picked up by CNN, suggest that Israel has already established an intelligence presence in the Berbera area (directly across from Aden, Yemen, a strategic point for controlling the Bab al-Mandeb Strait) and is evaluating the strategic use of the city's port and airport, including the possibility of supporting operations by the Israeli Navy's Dolphin submarines in the Red and Arabian Seas.
No official confirmation has been made so far, but some evidence suggests the information is plausible.
The most politically significant development concerns the recent and significant strengthening of relations between Israel and Somaliland.
Following Israel's official recognition of Somaliland, the first UN member state to do so, diplomatic relations have rapidly intensified, prompting a harsh reaction from the Somali government, which continues to consider the breakaway region of Somaliland an integral part of its territory.
The official visit by Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi (known as Irro) to Israel on 14-17 June further consolidated this new partnership.
On that occasion, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz, who publicly stated that the two countries have been collaborating "for many years" through previously undisclosed activities, announced that he wanted to take security cooperation “to a new level”. Needless to say, Mogadishu was not at all pleased.
A second widely confirmed fact concerns Israeli military assistance to Somaliland forces.
Somaliland Defence Minister Mohamed Yusuf Ali told Reuters that Israel is already providing training programmes to police units and military personnel in the breakaway territory.
The situation regarding alleged Israeli military and intelligence bases in Somaliland is different.
The investigation published by Drop Site News, a US-based online investigative journalism outlet, claims that Somali officials, former security officials, and European sources have confirmed an Israeli intelligence presence at Berbera airport.
Some members of Somaliland's presidential guard reportedly received training in Israel, while other intelligence officials were trained as part of ongoing operational cooperation. However, these claims have not been confirmed by independent international agencies or Western government sources.
CNN’s reports that Israel deployed special forces and Mossad personnel to Somaliland during the conflict with Iran have so far remained unconfirmed.
The most controversial issue concerns the port of Berbera and its possible use by the Israeli navy.
According to Rivista Italiana Difesa (RID), Israel is evaluating the strategic use of Berbera for its naval activities, including those involving German-built Dolphin submarines, considered one of the most sensitive assets of Israel's strategic deterrence.
“Somaliland”, the analysis claims, “represents an ideal platform for Israel, given its proximity to Yemen and its apparent willingness to host Israeli military infrastructure. The key of Israel’s strategy is the port city of Berbera, located 550 kilometres from Sana’a, the capital of Yemen currently under the control of Houthi militias.”
Given the involvement of the Yemen’s Houthi militias in the so-called Axis of Resistance (the group of pro-Iranian groups militarily active against Israel following the attacks by Israel and the United States against Iran, which also includes Hezbollah in Lebanon), the coastal area of Berbera appears to be a vital strategic hub.
Again, neither the Israeli nor the Somaliland governments have confirmed the existence of agreements for permanent naval bases.
In contrast, Somaliland's Defence Minister explicitly denied the existence of negotiations to open an Israeli military base, calling them “rumours”. Israeli diplomatic representatives interviewed by Reuters reiterated the same position.
The issue remains relevant, though. The Gaza war and Houthi attacks in the Red Sea have turned the Horn of Africa into a major theatre of regional competition between Israel, Iran, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt.
In this context, Somaliland represents a potentially valuable partner for Israel, both due to its geographic location and the willingness of its leaders to develop unprecedented political, economic, and security cooperation.
In the wake of Israel's surprising recognition, some press sources have speculated that the Netanyahu government may even entertain the idea of a (certainly non-voluntary) transfer of Palestinians to Somaliland.
This, however, is not supported by official statements from the governments involved or by independent sources. Indeed, it is denied by the Somaliland authorities, who reject any resettlement plan linked to Gaza or other territories.
That said, the fact that the international community does not recognise Somaliland raises many questions. In a politically and legally grey area, the territory is open to informal agreements and murky strategies, less (if at all) bound by the traditional canons of international law.
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11/08/2017 20:05
