Somalia rejects alleged Israeli presence plans in Berbera

Somalia's president has said the country will not accept an Israeli presence "under any circumstances", after alleging that Israel was planning to establish a naval base in Berbera and use the city's airport. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud made the remarks in an exclusive interview, framing the issue as part of wider efforts to pull Somalia into Middle East conflicts. He said Somalia would resist such moves and described the alleged plans as a challenge to the country's sovereignty.

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Mohamud said the alleged Israeli plans were aimed at gaining closer access to the Gulf states and Iran. He also linked them to what he called the "Greater Israel" project, a term used for a range of proposals for Israeli control beyond its current borders. In the interview, he described Israel as a destabilising force and said it does not abide by international law.

He also criticised Israel's recognition of Somaliland in December, saying residents of the region were opposed to an Israeli presence. Berbera is a port city on the Gulf of Aden coast in Somaliland, the self-declared republic in northwestern Somalia that Mogadishu claims as part of its territory. The city faces Yemen across the water near the strategic Bab al-Mandeb strait, a chokepoint that has become increasingly important because of regional conflict and shipping security.

The interview also referred to the Iran-aligned Houthis, who have previously enforced a blockade on Israel-linked ships in the area. Those details place the dispute within a wider contest over access, influence and maritime routes in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The comments come at a sensitive moment for Somalia, which has long sought to balance external partnerships while asserting control over disputed territory.

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Mogadishu's position on Somaliland remains central to that effort, and any suggestion of foreign military access in Berbera would be politically significant. The issue also touches on broader regional tensions involving Israel, Gulf states, Iran and armed groups operating around the Red Sea corridor. For Somalia, the question is not only about a possible foreign base, but also about preventing its territory from becoming part of a wider confrontation.

Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 and has governed itself separately for more than three decades, although it has not won recognition from most of the world. The interview said Israel recognised Somaliland last year, which Mohamud presented as part of the same dispute. He also said the United States remains Somalia's strongest partner in the fight against terrorism, and argued that al-Shabab does not hold major cities.

That broader security context helps explain why foreign military access, recognition politics and counter-terrorism partnerships are all closely linked in Mogadishu's view. What remains unclear is whether any formal Israeli plan exists for Berbera or whether the president's comments reflect intelligence, diplomatic concern or political warning. Israel has not publicly responded in the supplied material, and no independent confirmation of a naval base plan is included.

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