Why did Israel recognise Somaliland as an independent state? - BBC
Israeli recognition of Somaliland has sparked regional alarm, with analysts and local authorities warning that the move may serve as a foothold for future military operations in the Red Sea region.
According to Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies, Somaliland offers “potential access to an operational area close to the conflict zone,” including possible campaigns against Yemen’s Houthis, who have threatened to target any Israeli presence there.
Reports also suggest that Israel approached Somaliland regarding the potential resettlement of Palestinians forcibly displaced from Gaza, a plan strongly rejected by Somalia and the Palestinian Authority. Somalia’s president emphasized that Palestinians will “never be forcibly evicted from their rightful land to a faraway place.”
US-based Africa analyst Cameron Hudson also explained that Israel’s move is primarily aimed at countering Iran’s influence in the Red Sea. Establishing a security and intelligence presence in Somaliland, he noted, “serves Israel’s national security interests” while raising fears of further destabilization in the Horn of Africa and beyond.
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