'Israeli' presence in Somaliland to be considered 'military target', says Houthi leader
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- Houthi leader warns any 'Israeli' presence in Somaliland would be a military target.
The leader of Yemen's Houthis warned that any 'Israeli' presence in Somaliland would be considered a "military target", according to a statement published Sunday, in the latest condemnation of 'Israel's' move to recognise the breakaway region.
"We consider any Israeli presence in Somaliland a military target for our armed forces, as it constitutes aggression against Somalia and Yemen, and a threat to the security of the region," said the group's chief Abdulmalik al-Houthi, according to a statement published by the group's media online.
Read more: Why Somaliland, why now, and the Houthi question: Unpacking 'Israel’s' Red Sea move
'Israel' on Friday announced that it was officially recognising Somaliland, a first for the self-proclaimed republic that in 1991 declared it had unilaterally separated from Somalia.
The Houthi chief warned that the move carried grave consequences, saying recognition was "a hostile stance targeting Somalia and its African surroundings, as well as Yemen, the Red Sea, and the countries along both shores of the Red Sea".
Somaliland enjoys a strategic position on the Gulf of Aden and has its own money, passport and army.
Regional analysts believe that a rapprochement with Somaliland would provide 'Israel' with better access to the Red Sea, enabling it to hit Houthis in Yemen.
'Israel' repeatedly struck targets in Yemen after the Gaza war broke out in October 2023, in response to Houthi attacks on 'Israel' that they stated were in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
The Houthis have halted their attacks since a fragile truce began in Gaza in October.
Somaliland has been diplomatically isolated since its unilateral declaration of independence, even if it has generally experienced greater stability than Somalia, where Al-Shabaab Islamic militants periodically mount attacks in the capital Mogadishu.
'Israel's' recognition of Somaliland was criticised by the African Union, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council and the Saudi-based Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.
The European Union insisted Somalia's sovereignty should be respected.
