Mogadishu: Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has revealed that the breakaway region of Somaliland has reached an agreement to resettle Palestinians and host an Israeli military base in exchange for recognition by Israel. This development was disclosed based on intelligence reports during an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera.
According to Anadolu Agency, Mohamud described the recognition by Tel Aviv as "very unexpected and strange," noting that Israel is the first entity since 1991 to recognize Somaliland as an independent state. Somaliland declared its independence from Somalia in 1991 and has since functioned as a self-governing region, though it has not achieved international recognition. The Somali central government in Mogadishu continues to reject Somaliland's claims to independence, considering it part of Somalia and viewing any engagement with it as a violation of Somalia's sovereignty.
President Mohamud emphasized the Somali government's efforts to peacefully reunite the country. He also noted that Somaliland has agreed to join the Abraham Accords, which were signed in 2020 to normalize relations between Israel and several Arab nations, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco. The Somali president, citing intelligence reports, expressed concerns that Israel's recognition of Somaliland is part of a strategic effort to control crucial waterways like the Red Sea, the Gulf, and the Gulf of Aden, and that it could normalize an existing covert Israeli presence in the region.
Furthermore, Mohamud warned that Israel's intentions are not aligned with peace and suggested that the recognition might be a maneuver to forcibly relocate Palestinians to Somalia. This move has sparked global backlash, with several countries condemning it as a violation of international law and a potential threat to regional stability.
At an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Monday, numerous countries expressed concerns that the recognition might be an attempt to relocate Palestinians from Gaza. Nearly all council members condemned Israel's recognition of Somaliland, while the United States abstained from condemnation, maintaining that its position on the breakaway region remains unchanged.