Israel and Somaliland deepen security and economic ties

Israel and the breakaway territory of Somaliland are moving to deepen their security and economic partnership, with Israeli officials acknowledging years of covert cooperation while denying the establishment of a military base. The developments follow Israel's formal recognition of Somaliland's independence in December 2025, a move that has drawn strong condemnation from Somalia.

Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi concluded his first official state visit to Israel on Wednesday, meeting with Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz. During the meetings, Katz stated that Israel and Somaliland have cooperated "under the radar" for many years on classified security operations and are now committed to elevating that partnership. The discussions focused on deepening security, economic, and political ties.

Somaliland's Defense Minister, Mohamed Yusuf Ali, who was part of the presidential delegation, directly addressed recent media reports. He denied that Israel has a military base in Somaliland or that the two sides are negotiating to establish one, calling such claims "rumours." He confirmed, however, that Israel is providing training support to Somaliland's police and...