Hargeisa has signalled it is ready to pursue a security alliance with Israel, as a senior official warned that any disruption to maritime stability in the Bab al-Mandab Strait could push the breakaway region to deepen ties with Tel Aviv up to the level of a defence pact.
The statement, aired by Israel’s Channel 12, comes just days after Israel became the first U.N. member state to formally recognise Somaliland as a sovereign nation on 26 December 2025. With Houthi forces in Yemen threatening to target any Israeli presence in the Horn of Africa, the prospect of a formal military partnership threatens to further inflame regional tensions and draw a stark line between Hargeisa and Somalia’s federal government.
An unnamed senior Somaliland official told Channel 12 that any disruption to shipping in the strategic Bab al-Mandab choke point “could push Somaliland to expand its ties with Israel, even potentially to the level of a security or defence alliance,” according to the broadcaster. The official noted that Somaliland already works closely with the United States and the United Arab Emirates, including at the port of Berbera, and suggested that a similar arrangement with Israel is now possible.
The Bab al-Mandab strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, is a critical artery for global oil and commercial shipping. Iran-backed Houthi militants have repeatedly attacked vessels linked to Israel and the U.S., and on 29 December, Houthi leader Abdulmalik al-Houthi declared that “any Israeli presence in Somaliland will be considered a military target by our forces as it is an aggression against Somalia and Yemen and a threat to the security of the region”.
Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 but has not received broad international recognition. On 26 December 2025, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel was officially recognising Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state, a move that drew swift condemnation from Mogadishu and much of the international community.
Speaking to Channel 12, a senior Somaliland official stated, “Any disruption to maritime security could push Somaliland to expand its ties with Israel, possibly up to the level of a security or defence alliance.”
The official added that Somaliland already has security and economic partnerships with the United States and the United Arab Emirates, and that a similar level of cooperation with Israel is now a realistic possibility.
Mogadishu has rejected Israel’s recognition of Somaliland as a violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has accused Israel of “interference” and said any foreign military agreement negotiated outside the authority of the federal government is unacceptable.
