(Le somaliland discute d'une possible base militaire israélienne. note de rené)

Somaliland could host Israeli military base, says official

By MEE staff

Published date: 8 January 2026 10:54 GMT | Last update: 58 mins 1 sec ago

A Somaliland official has reportedly said that the breakaway region could host an Israeli military base, despite a previous denial that it would make such a move. 

Last month, Israel became the first country to officially recognise Somaliland as a state. 

Following the decision, Somaliland authorities officially denied an accusation by Somalia that their state would accept Palestinians forcibly displaced from Gaza, or that it would host an Israeli military base on its soil. 

However, Israeli media reported on Thursday that a base was being discussed. 

Israel's Channel 12 news cited Deqa Qasim, an official in Hargeisa’s foreign ministry, as saying that a military base was being spoken about, though it would depend upon the content of an agreement between both sides, following the opening of mutual embassies. 

Qasim also said that Somaliland's security ties with Israel would involve fighting terror and include naval cooperation. 

On Tuesday, Gideon Saar, Israel's foreign minister, made an official visit to Somaliland. 

Saar was pictured meeting Somaliland’s president, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, as he declared in an official statement that "unlike 'Palestine', Somaliland is not a virtual state".

Saar added that Somaliland was “pro-western and friendly to Israel”, and that Israel and Somaliland would cooperate on strategic partnerships in the medical, defence, education and water sectors.

“In the coming months, we'll bring local professionals from Somaliland's water sector to Israel for training,” Saar said. “We'll also send Israeli experts here to help implement new capabilities.”

Military base not ruled out by ruling party

Elsewhere, a senior figure from Somaliland’s ruling party has denied that talks are under way with Israel over establishing a military base in the territory, but stopped short of ruling it out.

In an interview with Al Jazeera Mubasher on Wednesday, Hersi Ali Haji Hassan, chairman of the ruling Waddani party, said: “We have started diplomatic relations… This topic [a military base] has not been touched upon now.”

Pressed on whether the breakaway Somali region would consider such a request in the future, Hassan replied: “Ask the question when the time comes… The question is untimely.”

Hassan insisted that relations with Israel remain strictly diplomatic and economic, though it remains unclear what economic ties, if any, exist between the two sides.

He also dismissed regional opposition to the breakaway province.

“The rejection of the Arab League does not matter to us at all. They did not accept us as a member … and we did not receive any attention from Arab countries,” he said.

“Normalisation with Israel is not limited to Somaliland,” Hassan added. “Many Arab and Islamic countries have broad political and economic relations with Israel, such as Egypt, Turkey, Jordan, and the UAE.”

When asked to justify recognition of Israel amid the Gaza genocide, Hassan claimed the war had “stopped”, despite Israel’s ongoing siege of the enclave and near-daily killings of Palestinian civilians since the so-called ceasefire took effect in October.

“We deal with Israel politically,” Hassan said. “Political dealing is not something religion forbids… Our stance on the Palestinian people is similar to the stance of Arab and Islamic countries.”

“We are far from these problems,” he added. “We are looking for international recognition… That is the key.”

Somalia's foreign ministry condemned the Israeli visit to Somaliland, saying it was a violation of Somalia's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

On 26 December, Israel became the first country in the world to formally recognise Somaliland, an autonomous region of Somalia and a former British protectorate. 

In the wake of the announcement, protests erupted in Somaliland, with videos showing people on the streets of Boroma, about 50km west of Hargeisa, waving Palestinian flags and chanting “Free, free Palestine”.