Somalia Rejects Any Israeli Presence and Vows to Resist Regional Crises, President Says

Somalia will not accept an Israeli presence in the country “under any circumstances” and will resist any attempts to be pulled into the Middle East’s crises, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud told Al Jazeera in an exclusive interview.

Mohamud stated that Israel was planning to establish a naval base in Berbera and use the city’s airport, with the real aim of getting closer to the Gulf states and Iran. Berbera is a port city on the Gulf of Aden coast in Somaliland – the self-declared republic in northwestern Somalia that Israel recognised last year, but which is claimed by Mogadishu. Berbera faces Yemen across the water near the strategic Bab al-Mandeb strait, an area where the Iran-aligned Houthis have previously enforced a blockade on Israel-linked ships.

“We will overcome the challenges posed to our country by Israeli moves,” Mohamud said. He added that the Israeli plans fall under the “Greater Israel” project, describing Israel as a “destabilising force” that does not abide by international law, while also criticising Tel Aviv’s recognition of Somaliland in December.

According to Mohamud, no country other than Israel recognises Somaliland, and the region’s own residents are completely opposed to an Israeli presence. Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 and has governed itself independently for more than three decades without securing recognition from any United Nations member state until Israel’s move.

On the security front, the Somali president told Al Jazeera that the United States remains his country’s strongest partner in the fight against “terrorism”. He added that al-Shabab has no presence in the major cities, leaving no possibility of the group taking control in Somalia. Al-Shabab has fought Somalia’s federal government for years, holds territory in parts of southern and central Somalia, and has carried out deadly attacks in Mogadishu and neighbouring Kenya.

Regarding the East Africa region, Mohamud said Somalia’s relations with neighbouring Ethiopia are good, and Mogadishu does not object to Addis Ababa gaining access to the sea through Somali territory. Ethiopia, landlocked since Eritrea became independent in 1993, previously signed a memorandum of understanding with Somaliland on sea access in January 2024, which Somalia condemned before the two later agreed to ease tensions.

Mohamud also accused Yemen’s Houthis of “destabilising” the region and disrupting navigation in the Bab al-Mandeb strait. Meanwhile, Yemeni government forces have held their positions on the front lines against the Houthis, and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) has promised not to compromise on the kingdom's security against the Yemeni rebels.