Tel Aviv, June 17: Somaliland has firmly rejected any plans to allow the Israeli military to establish a base within its territory. The country’s Defense Minister, Mohamed Yusuf Ali, categorically dismissed such reports as mere “rumors.”
In an interview with Reuters on Wednesday, Ali clarified that there is no intention for Israeli military or police forces to be stationed in Somaliland. He made these statements while attending a business conference in the Israeli capital, Tel Aviv.
When questioned about the matter, Michael Lotem, the Israeli envoy to Somaliland, declined to comment.
Strategically located in the Horn of Africa, Somaliland has been effectively autonomous since 1991, maintaining relative peace and stability after separating from Somalia amid its civil war.
In December of last year, Israel became the first country to recognize Somaliland as an independent nation. Somalia, in response, labeled this recognition as a “deliberate attack” on its sovereignty.
In February, Somaliland’s President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi expressed to Reuters that while Somaliland looks forward to future military cooperation with Israel, there have been no discussions about establishing an Israeli military base.
However, on Sunday, the “Somali Guardian” reported that Israel has already set up an intelligence base in Somaliland and is discussing the potential for a military base.
Official diplomatic relations between Israel and Somaliland were established in December, leading to a rapid increase in cooperation between the two nations. Recently, President Abdirrahman Mohamed Abdullahi and his wife, Fardousa Mohamed Roble, visited Israel with a high-level delegation for further discussions.
Previously, Somaliland appointed its new ambassador to Israel and announced plans to establish its embassy in Jerusalem.
Despite these developments, there has been opposition to the growing ties. Some Islamic nations have criticized the partnership, arguing that opening an embassy in Jerusalem is inappropriate due to Israel’s occupation of East Jerusalem.
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