Somaliland president invites ‘Israeli’ military presence

Somaliland’s president has openly invited a future ‘Israeli’ military presence on its territory, citing regional threats, in comments that underscore the breakaway region’s deepening and controversial alignment with ‘Israel’.

Speaking during his first visit to Washington this week, President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi told Hebrew media that while no ‘Israeli’ presence currently exists, “perhaps there will be one in the future.”

He added: “We will cooperate with any friendly country, and we need security partners, including Israel. If Israel is present, it will provide deterrence. We need protection. I do not rule out Israel or the United States establishing a presence here.”

Abdullahi noted that formal discussions on the matter have not yet occurred, though reports of ‘Israeli’ security visits have circulated.

The remarks come nearly nine months after ‘Israel’ became the first UN member state to formally recognize Somaliland as an “independent country” on December 26, 2025—a decision rejected by Somalia, the African Union, and many regional states as a violation of Somalia’s territorial integrity.

Somaliland, which declared independence from Somalia in 1991 and has operated with its own institutions since, remains unrecognized by virtually the entire international community.

Critics argue the ‘Israeli’ recognition and subsequent security outreach risk turning the Horn of Africa into another arena for external power competition rather than resolving long-standing questions of legitimacy through broader consensus.

Abdullahi framed the potential ‘Israeli’ footprint as a response to rising tensions with Somalia and the expanding influence of Yemen’s Houthis near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

He said Somaliland’s roughly 25,000-strong army and 1,500-member coast guard provide sufficient manpower for self-defense but require advanced technology and training.

Earlier this year, during a visit to ‘Israel’, he similarly left the door open to deeper military cooperation, while officials have confirmed ‘Israeli’ training of Somaliland police and military units even as they dismissed current base talks as “rumors.”

Somalia has consistently condemned the relationship, describing ‘Israel’s’ recognition as a “naked invasion” and warning against any foreign military arrangements that could import external conflicts.

The African Union has repeatedly reaffirmed support for Somalia’s unity and called the recognition null and void, cautioning that it sets a dangerous precedent for secessionist claims across the continent.

Regional voices have also raised alarms that hosting ‘Israeli’ forces near strategic Red Sea shipping lanes could escalate rather than deter threats.

Beyond security, Abdullahi used the Washington trip to seek US recognition, Abraham Accords membership, and ‘Israeli’ investment in water, trade, and tourism.

He further offered up to 2,000 troops for a potential international force in Gaza if requested by the United States or ‘Israel’.