Israel is interested in establishing a military base in northern Somalia in order to keep tabs on Yemen and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, Middle East Monitor, the Qatari state-funded news site reported on Tuesday.
According to the report, in exchange, Israel would establish relations with Somaliland, which controls northern Somalia but is not currently recognized by Israel.
Middle East Monitor noted that Somaliland is geographically strategic. It is a former British colony that borders Ethiopia, Somalia, and Djibouti. Somaliland was considered an autonomous region of Somalia that declared independence in 1991.
Somaliland is positioned in the Gulf of Aden and near the entrance to the Bab al-Mandab Strait, through which nearly a third of the world’s maritime cargo passes.
Somaliland has 740 kilometres of coastline along the Gulf of Aden and could play a key role in safeguarding the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Red Sea from piracy, terrorism, and smuggling, Middle East Monitor wrote.
Various international shipping companies have grown hesitant to charter merchant vessels through the Bab al-Mandab Strait due to attacks by Yemen’s Houthis, disrupting global trade and triggering multinational naval action.
Traders are scrambling to find alternative shipping routes to get consumer goods to retailers, with journeys around Africa adding roughly 10 days to voyage times.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced in late 2023 the establishment of Operation Prosperity Guardian, a new multinational security initiative involving key countries such as the UK, France, the US, and Italy.
Securing Israel from afar
According to the report, Israel seeks to enhance its national security from afar and challenge the Houthis presence in Yemen, along with other potential economic opportunities that could be spurred from diplomatic relations.
Potential economic opportunities include growing investments in agriculture, energy, and infrastructure. Israel’s historic success in agriculture and knowledge of this field, such as its kibbutz model, could be used to leverage and secure a military base in Somaliland, Middle East Monitor stated.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has ties with both Israel and Somaliland and has maintained a base in Somaliland since 2017. The UAE was one of the first countries in the region to recognize the Republic of Somaliland and has invested in the area, Middle East Monitor wrote.
The UAE is mediating on behalf of Israel to establish a military base in Somaliland, Middle East Monitor reported, citing diplomatic sources that could not be verified.
Reuters contributed to this report.
