Israel’s recognition of Somaliland has secured the state its first ally across from Yemen, which could lead to an Israeli base on the coast of the Red Sea, Khadar Hussein Abdi, Somaliland’s minister of the presidency, told Bloomberg on Wednesday.
In addition to potentially establishing an Israeli presence in the Red Sea, Somaliland would allow Israel to use its strategic location to gather intelligence and operate against Yemen’s Houthis, two anonymous Somaliland officials told Bloomberg.
“In terms of security, we will have a strategic relationship, and that encompasses a lot of things,” Abdi told Bloomberg. “We haven’t discussed with them if it becomes a military base, but definitely, there will be an analysis at some point.”
In late December, Israel became the first country to recognize the Republic of Somaliland, a northeastern part of Somalia that has claimed independence for decades. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had said Israel would seek immediate cooperation in agriculture, health, technology, and the economy.
Just days before the launch of Operation Roaring Lion, Israel welcomed Somaliland’s first official delegation for a visit focused on establishing professional relations, with the primary objective of exporting technology in the agricultural and water-recycling sectors.
Though the Houthis have not formally entered the Israel-Iran conflict, a long-term presence closer to the terrorist group could allow for protection from missiles and drones aimed at Israel, as well as from attacks launched by the Houthis on boats in the Red Sea.
With Israel's continuous strikes against Hamas and Hezbollah since 2023, the Houthis have steadily grown to be Iran’s strongest proxy.
“The Israeli relationship with Somaliland matters in large part because the Houthis are expanding along the Horn of Africa,” Ari Heistein, a research fellow at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, told Bloomberg.
“If the ongoing US-Israel campaign degrades Iran’s ability to support the movement, the region could become an even more critical strategic arena for them.”
The rising Turkish threat
While Israeli presence in Somaliland has its benefits in the fight against the Houthis, the partnership between the two countries will only further the rift between Israel and Somalia’s greatest ally, Turkey.
“For Israel, recognition of Somaliland offers a security counterweight to Houthi dominance in the Gulf of Aden,” Conor Vasey, an analyst at the London-based advisory firm J.S. Held, told Bloomberg. “Specifically, it helps balance rising Turkish influence in Somalia.”
Israel has grown increasingly cautious of Ankara’s threats in recent months, and former prime minister Naftali Bennett has referred to Turkey as “the new Iran.”
Currently, Ankara has its largest overseas military training base in Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital.
During a December trip to the region, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan decried Israel’s recognition of Somaliland as “illegal.”
“We have a lot of enemies to this, who really want to put pressure on Israel,” Mohamed Abdirahman, director-general of Somaliland’s foreign ministry, told Bloomberg.
Both Al-Shabaab and the Islamic State in Somalia have threatened to attack Somaliland if an Israeli presence is established in the country.
“They are tired of supporting the failed state of Mogadishu,” Abdi concluded.
“They have been pumping money and military support and nothing changes in Somalia. A policy shift is coming.”