Israeli Military Source Highlights Tel Aviv’s Strategic Interest in Somaliland
An Israeli military source has announced that Tel Aviv has shown special attention to Somaliland, a separatist region in northern Somalia, in recent years, considering it strategically valuable.
According to regional media, the Maariv newspaper, citing this source, wrote that the head of the Mossad intelligence service has made efforts over the past few years to expand and strengthen relations between Israel and Somaliland. The source said these contacts are part of Tel Aviv’s broader security approach to the Horn of Africa region.
Based on the report, Somaliland possesses important installations such as a port and an airport, the latter being known for having one of the longest runways on the African continent. These locations, the source believes, provide Israel with more operational options, especially concerning regional developments, including Yemen.
The report continues that over these years, the Mossad chief has maintained close communications with Abdulrahman Mohamed Abdullahi, the head of the separatist Somaliland movement. These communications are reported despite Somaliland not being recognized internationally as an independent country.
Meanwhile, Israel’s move to recognize Somaliland has sparked negative reactions from several countries in the region and worldwide, reactions that emphasize concerns about the legal and political consequences of such a decision in the sensitive Horn of Africa region.
