Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud addresses an emergency joint parliamentary session in Mogadishu [Handout: Somali presidency]

Somalia warns of 'Israel' agenda in Horn of Africa

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Palestine

Somali president accuses 'Israel' of seeking control over strategic waterways in the Horn of Africa.
Mogadishu rejects any recognition of Somaliland, calling it an assault on Somalia’s sovereignty.

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has accused 'Israel' of pursuing strategic and destabilizing goals in the Horn of Africa, including plans to control key maritime routes and push for the displacement of Palestinians to the breakaway Somaliland region.

Speaking to Al Jazeera during a visit to Turkey, where he met earlier with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Mohamud said 'Israel' is exploiting regional instability to advance its interests under the guise of diplomacy.

Claims over Somaliland recognition

Commenting on 'Israel’s' decision to recognize Somaliland, Mohamud said the separatist region had agreed to resettle Palestinians, host an Israeli military base, and join the Abraham Accords.

He said Somaliland’s engagement with 'Israel' was neither new nor benign. “'Israel’s' proximity to Somaliland is not for peaceful reasons in any way,” Mohamud said, adding that Israeli involvement in the region had existed covertly for years and that the recognition merely formalized what had long taken place behind the scenes.

Mohamud stressed that 'Israel' had no historical interest or ties in the Horn of Africa. “We did not expect this recognition and were surprised by its unnecessary interference and sudden leap into the issue,” he said.

“Illegitimate” move

The Somali president said the recognition was widely condemned internationally and came at a critical moment for Somalia, which he said was close to emerging from decades of political turmoil.

“This decision came at a time when we were on the verge of overcoming problems that lasted for a long time, and we are trying to unify the country peacefully,” he said.

Mohamud also alleged that private companies are operating and investing illegally in Somaliland, without coordination with the federal government.

He added that despite Somaliland’s three-decade campaign for international recognition, it has failed to secure it, noting that US President Donald Trump had publicly stated that Washington would not approve 'Israel’s' recognition of the region.

Somalia reaffirms sovereignty

Somaliland has functioned as a de facto autonomous entity since declaring independence from Somalia in 1991, maintaining its own administrative, political, and security structures. However, it has never been formally recognized as a sovereign state.

The Somali government continues to reject any recognition of Somaliland, insisting it remains an inseparable part of the Federal Republic of Somalia.

Mogadishu considers any direct agreements or dealings with the separatist region an infringement on Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial unity, and has warned that such moves risk further destabilizing the Horn of Africa.