TEL AVIV, June 17 – There is no Israeli military presence in Somaliland and no talks about Israel opening a base there, Somaliland’s Defence Minister Mohamed Yusuf Ali told Reuters on Wednesday.
Speaking on the sidelines of a business conference in Tel Aviv, he said Israel was training Somaliland’s military and police, but dismissed reports that Israel was in negotiations to establish a military base in the territory as “rumours”.
Michael Lotem, Israel’s ambassador to Somaliland, declined to comment.
Strategically situated on the Horn of Africa, Somaliland has enjoyed effective autonomy—and relative peace and stability—since 1991, when it broke away from Somalia as that country descended into civil war.
Israel recognised Somaliland as an independent state last December, the first country to formally do so, in a move Somalia rejected and termed a “deliberate attack” on its sovereignty.
In February, Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi told Reuters that while Somaliland hopes for future military cooperation with Israel, establishing Israeli military bases had not been discussed.
The Somali Guardian reported on Sunday that Israel had opened an intelligence base in Somaliland and there were discussions over the possible establishment of an Israeli military base. REUTERS
