Somalia: Somaliland Denies Talks On Israeli Operations Against Houthis

What the report says

Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, known as Irro, has denied reports that his government discussed allowing Israel to use Somaliland’s territory or airspace for operations against the Iran-backed Houthi movement in Yemen. The remarks were made in an interview with The Jerusalem Post on the sidelines of the MEAD conference in Washington, according to Horn Diplomat’s report distributed by AllAfrica.

Abdullahi said Somaliland does not currently have a conflict with the Houthis and said no discussions had taken place on possible Israeli military activity. The report also notes that Somaliland’s location on the Gulf of Aden, near the Bab al-Mandab Strait and across from Yemen, has led to outside speculation that it could be useful for security or intelligence purposes.

In the same interview, Abdullahi also rejected reports that Somaliland had discussed taking in Palestinians displaced from Gaza as part of its relationship with Israel. He said there had been no such talks with Israel, the United States or others.

The article says Israel formally recognized Somaliland in December 2025 and that the two sides have described cooperation on security, trade, investment and economic development. Abdullahi said water technology is likely to be an important area of cooperation because Somaliland often faces water shortages due to its semi-arid climate.