Through Somaliland, UAE Bolsters Israeli Military Presence
Israeli media confirmed that the UAE is financing Israeli regional military expansion through the establishment of a military base in Somaliland.
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz published a report titled, “All Eyes on Somaliland: The Tiny African State That’s Key to Israel’s War on Houthi Terror.”
The report highlighted Israel’s move, supported by the UAE, to establish a military base in Somaliland to counter the Houthis in Yemen. This development poses a strategic threat to Egypt and the future of international navigation in the Suez Canal.
Both Israeli and Western reports agree that Israel, which has been waging a bloody war on Gaza since 7 October 2023, is exploring the establishment of a military base in Somaliland to thwart Houthi actions in Yemen, which include support for Palestinians. The base would also monitor the Bab al-Mandeb Strait at the southern entrance to the Red Sea, an area partly controlled by the Houthis. The Houthis continue to launch hypersonic ballistic missiles and drones targeting Israeli sites, including Tel Aviv, despite the significant 2,000-kilometer distance.
According to the news website Arabi 21, Israel’s proposed military base in Somaliland comes in exchange for Tel Aviv’s recognition of “Hargeisa“ as the capital of the self-declared state, which lacks international recognition.
Reports indicate that the UAE, which has maintained extensive political and economic ties with Egypt’s ruling regime since 2013 and operates a military and commercial base at Berbera Port in Somaliland since 2017, is mediating between Israel and Somaliland regarding the base and is partially funding its establishment.
The potential Israeli base near the southwestern entrance to the Red Sea coincides with Ethiopia’s efforts to establish its own military base on the Red Sea through Somaliland, raising concerns about escalating geopolitical risks in the region, particularly for Egypt’s interests.
In an analysis by Israeli writer Nadav Feldman published in Haaretz on 27 November, the threat of Houthi attacks on Israel was discussed. Feldman referenced a drone, costing $20,000, that traveled 2,000 kilometers from Yemen, evaded Israel’s advanced air defenses, and struck Tel Aviv, killing one Israeli and injuring ten others on July 19.
Feldman noted that this Houthi attack, which caught Israel’s defenses off guard, forced Israel to “find its own solutions to counter the Yemeni threat,” given the high cost of deploying fighter jets on long-range missions to Yemen. Somaliland, a “remote, internationally unrecognized state,” appears to offer a viable solution. The region lacks support from institutions like the IMF and World Bank.
The writer claimed parallels between Israel and Somaliland, describing both as “small, weak democracies located in regions dominated by authoritarian regimes and deadly conflicts. Both face challenges to their sovereignty from the international community, and both have enemies seeking their destruction.”
The Middle East Monitor was among the first outlets to report on Israel’s interest in Somaliland. On 17 October, Ahmed Fifa Rendi, a researcher at the Middle East Institute at Turkey’s Sakarya University, revealed secret Israeli efforts to establish a military base in Somaliland. The base would allow Israel to attack and deter Houthi targets in exchange for official recognition of “Hargeisa“ and increased financial investments in the region.
The occupying state has sought to establish secure zones for its strategic depth, such as Cyprus in the Mediterranean. Similarly, Somaliland holds significance for it in “combating Iran’s proxies, particularly the Houthis in Yemen.”
The website, which focuses on the Arab-Israeli conflict, cited diplomatic sources stating that the UAE is mediating between the two sides. It confirmed that Abu Dhabi not only persuaded Somaliland to allow the construction of the military base, but also assured its funding.
Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv share hostility toward Yemen’s Houthi group. While the two have been engaged in normalized relations since 2020, with trade ties and economic agreements, the Houthis pose a threat to the occupying state. On December 14, they announced the closure of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, which also threatens the UAE’s presence in southern Yemen.
According to the Hebrew newspaper Maariv, on 29 July, the UAE and Israel agreed to establish a joint military and intelligence facility on Abdul Kuri Island in Yemen’s Socotra Archipelago, located in the Gulf of Aden. The UAE has controlled the island since 30 April 2018.
The UAE’s strong presence in Somaliland since 2017 has extended over seven years to include the port of Berbera and its key airport on the Gulf of Aden’s coast. These are used by Emirati forces as bases for military activities in Yemen, in exchange for a $440 million UAE investment in the port.
Somaliland, located on the Gulf of Aden with a 460-mile coastline near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, has a population of 6.2 million. It is governed by the Issa clan and declared independence from Mogadishu in 1991. Over the past 33 years, it has failed to secure international recognition, maintaining only unofficial and trade relations with Taiwan, Israel, the UAE, and Ethiopia.
The region holds substantial geopolitical importance, attracting interest from nations like the UAE, Ethiopia, and Israel, all vying for a foothold in the area. It is also of strategic significance to Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Djibouti. Furthermore, global powers like the United States and China see Somaliland as a prime location for military bases and naval operations due to its proximity to the southern entrance of the Red Sea. This key maritime passage facilitates 12% of global trade annually, amounting to approximately €790 billion.
See also: The Land at Stake: A Decade of Cases from the HLRN Violation Database
Photo: Source: New construction on Berbera airbase following UAE investment. Airbus.
