Mogadishu (Somalia Today) — Somalia’s defence minister on Sunday vowed to block any attempt by Israel to establish a military base in the northern breakaway region of Somaliland, saying the move would threaten Somalia’s sovereignty and raise new security risks along the Red Sea corridor.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, Defence Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi said Mogadishu would not accept foreign basing arrangements in the self-declared republic and accused Israel of pursuing a strategy to weaken Somalia through fragmentation.
Fiqi also challenged Somaliland’s territorial claim, arguing that large parts of the north reject secession and remain aligned with Somalia’s federal system — a long-running point of contention between Mogadishu and the regional capital, Hargeisa.
Red line on bases
The standoff has sharpened since Israel became the first UN member state to recognise Somaliland’s independence on Dec. 26, 2025, prompting protests in Mogadishu and condemnation from several Muslim-majority states and regional bodies.
Tensions rose further after a Jan. 6 visit to Hargeisa by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, the first high-level Israeli trip since recognition.
Somalia’s government described Saar’s visit as an unacceptable breach of its sovereignty and urged partners to reaffirm Somalia’s territorial integrity.
Fiqi also raised an allegation he described as “confirmed information,” claiming Israel planned to move Palestinians from Gaza to Somaliland. Israel and Somaliland have previously dismissed such claims as baseless.
Mogadishu has intensified lobbying to build an international front against recognition and to deter any security arrangements between Israel and Somaliland.
The African Union’s Peace and Security Council on Jan. 6 urged Israel to reverse its decision, warning it could destabilise the Horn of Africa.
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation said in a final communiqué that any unauthorised foreign military or intelligence activity on Somali territory was a “non-negotiable red line.”
A cross-regional group of foreign ministers, in a joint statement hosted by Türkiye, also demanded Israel revoke its decision, citing a violation of Somalia’s territorial integrity.
Somaliland pushes back
Somaliland, which declared independence in 1991 but is not widely recognised, says its engagement with Israel is “purely diplomatic.”
In a separate statement on Sunday, Somaliland’s foreign ministry condemned Mogadishu’s rhetoric, accusing the federal government of encouraging foreign military pressure.
It said such language violated the UN Charter and reaffirmed Somaliland’s right to self-defence under international law.
Fiqi drew a comparison with Yemen’s Southern Transitional Council leader, Aidarus al-Zubaidi.
His comment followed a Somali inquiry into an alleged unauthorised flight linked to the Yemeni separatist leader, underscoring Mogadishu’s sensitivity over foreign-linked activity in its airspace.
Somaliland’s coastline lies along the Gulf of Aden near the Bab al-Mandeb chokepoint, which links the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean and carries a significant share of global trade.
The corridor has remained under strain in recent months amid the Gaza war and attacks on shipping from Yemen.
Somalia says any foreign military presence in Somaliland would violate its sovereignty. Regional and multilateral bodies backing Mogadishu have warned that the dispute risks compounding wider insecurity in the Horn of Africa and along a vital maritime route.
