The Somali government has warned against using its territory as a launching pad for military operations, following reports that Israel is planning to establish a military base in Somaliland to launch an offensive against the Houthis in Yemen.
“Somalia does not want its territory to be dragged into external conflicts or used in ways that could destabilize an already fragile region,” Somalia’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ali Omar Ali (Ali Balcad), told Al Jazeera on Thursday.
The warning from Mogadishu came after US media outlet Bloomberg and Swedish public broadcaster Ekot reported this week that Israel was planning to establish a military base near the strategic port city of Berbera on the Gulf of Aden.
The reports came as the war between the US, Israel and Iran entered its second week, with the Strait of Hormuz closed and Yemen’s Houthis saying they were ready to join the fight.
In an interview with Bloomberg, Somaliland’s Minister of the Presidency Khadar Abdi said that Somaliland is seeking a strategic relationship with Israel, which includes many aspects. He added that the possibility of an Israeli base has not yet been officially discussed, but will be discussed at some point.
Ali Balcad said that the Federal Government of Somalia is the only institution that has the authority to represent the country in international security or military agreements.
