Somaliland deepens Israel, UAE and US links

by SAAD MUSE
MOGADISHU, (CAJ News) – SOMALILAND President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi has signalled growing diplomatic and strategic alignment with Israel, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the United States, while suggesting that future foreign military basing in the territory has not been ruled out.

In an exclusive interview, Abdullahi confirmed expanding cooperation with Israel following his historic state visit, including plans for direct flights between Hargeisa and Tel Aviv and the opening of Somaliland’s embassy in Jerusalem.

“We don’t rule out an Israeli military base in the future,” he said, adding that Somaliland’s strategic Red Sea position and the Berbera Port made it an attractive hub for global partners.

Abdullahi also indicated that Somaliland was actively engaging the US, UAE and Israel on trade, logistics, security and infrastructure development, positioning Berbera as a regional gateway for East Africa and landlocked countries.

While the Somaliland leader framed these partnerships as steps towards international recognition and development, his remarks have reignited wider continental debate over the growing presence of foreign military and strategic interests in Africa.

The African Union (AU) has repeatedly expressed concern over the expansion of foreign military bases and external influence on the continent, warning that such developments risk undermining sovereignty and long-term stability.

Across Africa, critics point to ongoing conflicts as evidence of the destabilising consequences of foreign involvement.

In Sudan, allegations of external interference, including reported UAE backing of rival factions, have intensified and worsened the civil war.

In the Sahel region, military interventions by France have been widely criticised in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, where governments accuse foreign forces of prolonging insecurity rather than resolving it.

Similar concerns have emerged in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado region, where foreign security partnerships have drawn scrutiny over resource access and strategic influence.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), competing international interests in mineral-rich territories continue to fuel tensions and armed conflict.

Pan-African voices across social media have increasingly warned against what they describe as a new era of external re-engagement under the guise of security cooperation.

One activist wrote: “Africa cannot continue outsourcing its security. Foreign military bases are not neutral; they come with political and economic interests that weaken sovereignty.”

Another commentator stated: “What is happening in Sudan, the Sahel and the Great Lakes region shows clearly that foreign involvement is not solving Africa’s problems. It is entrenching them.”

Somaliland’s outreach to foreign powers has therefore sparked concern among Pan-Africanists who argue that expanding external military presence in strategic coastal regions risks replicating instability seen elsewhere on the continent.

However, Abdullahi defended Somaliland’s approach, arguing that international partnerships are essential for security, development and global recognition.

He said cooperation with Israel would include agriculture, water management, healthcare and security assistance, while also highlighting medical support for Somaliland children receiving treatment abroad.

Abdullahi maintained that Somaliland is not a “breakaway region” but a sovereign state that declared independence in 1960, and urged countries yet to recognise it to reconsider their position.

“Please join before it is too late. Who comes first will have the best opportunity,” he said.

As geopolitical competition intensifies around Africa’s strategic corridors and resources, Somaliland’s deepening ties with global powers are likely to remain a focal point in the broader debate over sovereignty, security and foreign influence on the continent.

– CAJ News