Somaliland’s President Seeks Israeli Military Presence as Regional Threats Grow

Somaliland’s President Seeks Israeli Military Presence as Regional Threats Grow

The East African nation of Somaliland has sought Israeli military presence amid growing regional threats. “We will cooperate with any friendly country, and we need security partners, including Israel,” Somaliland’s President Abdirahman Abdullahi said recently. “If Israel is present, it will provide deterrence.”

The statement comes as Iranian-backed Houthis reportedly seized the strategic Red Sea port city of Mokha, tightening their hold over the Strait of Bab al-Mandab. According to Reuters on Thursday, the Iranian proxy terror militia has “reached the Red Sea islands of Hanish after capturing the coastal city of Mocha, … in a dramatic strategic ​shift that could threaten the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, one of the world’s most important shipping routes.”

WHAT HAPPENED IN YEMEN OVER THE PAST 24 HOURS?

On Wednesday, Saudi-backed Yemeni forces announced they had made significant achievements on the ground in the north and central desert areas and appeared to have broken through Houthi lines.

But in reality, the Houthis simply… https://t.co/ImFf21kfRx pic.twitter.com/oQsnuR8E3X

— Ariel Oseran أريئل أوسيران (@ariel_oseran) September 10, 2026

This may explain the timing of the request. Somaliland, located in the Horn of Africa, is particularly threatened by the Houthis’ menacing influence in the Red Sea. Israel and Somaliland already have diplomatic ties. In December 2025, Israel has become the world’s first country to recognize Somaliland.

Israel’s Ynetnews reported Thursday:

Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi says his country would welcome a future Israeli military presence, arguing that closer security cooperation could strengthen deterrence as threats grow around the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea.

“There is no Israeli security presence in Somaliland yet, but perhaps there will be one in the future,” [President] Abdullahi told ynet during a visit to Washington. “We will cooperate with any friendly country, and we need security partners, including Israel. If Israel is present, it will provide deterrence. We need protection. I do not rule out Israel or the United States establishing a presence here.”

His comments come as tensions rise with neighboring Somalia and as the Houthis expand their presence in Yemen toward the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait. Abdullahi said Somaliland has an army of around 25,000 troops and a coast guard of roughly 1,500, but could benefit from outside technology and training. “We have enough military strength to defend ourselves,” he said, “but perhaps we need technology and training.”

The president said the possibility of an Israeli security presence had not yet formally been discussed between the two countries, despite reports that Israeli security officials have already visited Somaliland.

A former British protectorate, Somaliland gained short-lived independence in 1960 before being absorbed into the Republic of Somalia. After a devastating war of secession, Somaliland broke away from Somalia’s Communist regime and declared independence once more in 1991.

In contrast to its southern neighbour Somalia, the people of Somaliland have managed to create a functioning state and thriving economy. “Somaliland has a working political system, government institutions, a police force and its own currency,” the BBC notes. “The former British protectorate has also escaped much of the chaos and violence that plague Somalia.”

Somaliland’s strategic relevance in countering Houthi threat

Although Israel has not commented on the matter, the Muslim-majority East African nation does provide a strategic base to counter the Houthi terrorist threat.

Somaliland, with its 500 miles of coastline along the Gulf of Adan, is of “security importance” to Israel, the Tel Aviv-based Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) said in a 2025 report. “Somaliland’s coastline and territory lie roughly 300 to 500 kilometers from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen, including the port of Hodeidah,” the report noted. “Somaliland’s location—and the possibility of operating from its territory—could be a game changer” in countering the Houthi terror threat.

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