The government of Somaliland has rejected claims of agreeing to set up Israeli military bases, as well as resetle Palestinians from Gaza, as a precondition by Israel for recognizing the country as its state. The country’s Foreign Affairs Ministry drew its response from a statement it released on Thursday, which stated that such allegations are “baseless and misleading” because “our relations with Israel are purely diplomatic.”
This came after statements by Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in which he alleged that Somaliland accepted the following Israeli demands: relocating Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to the country, the establishment of an Israeli military base along the Gulf of Aden coastline, and the involvement of the Abraham Accords to normalize relations with Israelis. The two allegations were completely denied by Somaliland authorities while admitting to talks pertaining to the normalization of relations.
What sparked the accusations from Somalia’s president?
These remarks by President Mohamud are coming at a time when there has been increased tension in the region due to Israel’s official recognition of Somaliland last week, an act which has violated the international community’s support for Somalia’s territorial integrity over the years. President Mohamud has stated that Israel’s moves are “not merely symbolic gestures.”
Somali government representatives draw on sovereignty as a reason why recognizing Somaliland will create instability within a region of Africa that is, per se, quite fragile. There is also revenge, as Mogadishu has always disagreed with international recognition of Somaliland, which declared its sovereignty from Mogadishu back in 1991.
Is Somaliland being linked to Gaza’s displacement crisis?
It was reported earlier in the year that Israel was considering the possibility of relocating the Palestinians made homeless by the Israeli military campaign in Gaza, where more than 1.9 million citizens, comprising 85% of the population, have been forced into displacement, as estimated by UN Agencies, as the Gaza infrastructure has been destroyed, rendering whole neighborhoods uninhabitable.
Though the foreign minister of Somaliland has denied the undertaking of any negotiations for the relocation of Palestinians, he has opted to fall short of a categorical rejection of the notion when posed hypothetically, unlike other countries that have already debunked it. This has contributed to suspicions among the critics, especially considering the calls by Israel for “voluntary relocation” that has been interpreted by human rights activists as a form of forced relocation, which is against international law.
What role do the Abraham Accords play in this controversy?
That aside, Somaliland has announced only that it intends to take part in the Abraham Accords. The Abraham Accords is an Israel-Arab normalisation initiative launched in 2020 with US backing. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Tuesday that Somaliland will now be a part of this framework because Somaliland is “a democratic, moderate Muslim country.”
For Somaliland, Accords participation is largely understood as its political attempt to gain international acceptance after more than three decades of political isolation internationally. For Israel, it establishes its presence within the very strategic region at the Red Sea’s mouth.
Why is Somaliland strategically important to Israel?
According to analyses, Somaliland’s positioning in the Gulf of Aden, close to the Bab el-Mandeb strait—which is a highly significant maritime bottleneck that annually sees around 12% of international shipping passage—is now even more significant due to recent Houthi attacks in Yemen on ships reportedly affiliated with Israel during the Gaza war.
A November report by Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies proposed that Somaliland might be “established as a forward intelligence and monitoring base” against the Iranians and other regional actors including the Houthis. Even though it has been denied that it has any intention to install Israeli military infrastructure in Somaliland, the implications remain that recognition could lead to security agreements in the future.
How have regional actors reacted to Israel’s recognition of Somaliland?
The Somali reaction has been immediate and vigorous. On December 30, tens of thousands of rioters poured onto the streets of Mogadishu, Baidoa, Dhusamareb, Las Anod, and other Somali towns, holding Somali national flags. The rioters accused Israel of taking advantage of Somali divisions.
Over 50 nations disowned the Israeli act, and the African Union and the European Union again showed their solidarity with the territorial integrity of Somalia. The AU stated that the recognition could set a bad precedent in Africa for secessionist groups.
Could this escalation affect Red Sea and Horn of Africa stability?
There are now increased security worries following a threat from the Houthis in Yemen that any Israeli troops in Somalia’s Somaliland would be fair game. Thus, the ex-head of the intelligence services in Somaliland, Mostafa Hasan, likened the above declaration to an announcement of war.
The Horn of Africa already has its plate full of crises that include the civil war in Sudan, instability in Somalia, the rift between Ethiopia and Eritrea, and the danger of piracy attacks in major shipping routes. It has been warned that the war between Israel and Hamas does not help the matter at all.
How does international law view recognition and resettlement claims?
In international law, the declaration of the independence of the breakaway region cannot license the breach of territorial integrity outside the framework of the negotiated settlement. The compelled transfer or the transfer with the aim to resettle the civilian population from the occupied territory, for example Gaza, is prohibited by the Fourth Geneva Conventions and can amount to war crime.
Human rights groups have repeatedly warned that any effort to move Palestinians elsewhere other than in Gaza without their free consent would constitute ethnic cleansing. Such fears have heightened attention towards any state that may be involved in these efforts.
