Israel seeks to establish military base in Somaliland to counter Houthi threat from Yemen

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The State of Israel is reportedly seeking to establish an IDF military base in the Republic of Somaliland, located in northern Somalia, to counter the ongoing missile threat posed by Houthi terrorists in Yemen.

According to a report from the Qatari news outlet Middle East Monitor on Tuesday, Israel would establish diplomatic relations with Somaliland in exchange for establishing an Israeli military base in the de facto state.

Somaliland, a former British colony, is strategically located in the Gulf of Aden and shares borders with Somalia, Ethiopia and Djibouti. While it declared its independence in 1991, very few countries have so far recognized Somaliland’s status as an independent state.

Located less than 400 miles from the Houthi-controlled Hodeidah port in Yemen, an Israeli military presence in Somaliland could help the IDF counter Houthi piracy and terrorism in the Red Sea by significantly shortening the distance to Houthi targets, thereby enhancing Israel's response capabilities.

In September, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) conducted a massive aerial attack on the Houthi facilities in Hodeidah in response to Houthi missile attacks on Tel Aviv. However, IAF jets had to travel some 1,100 miles (1,800 km) to reach their targets in Yemen.

Since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack in southern Israel last year, Iranian-supported Houthi maritime terrorism has greatly undermined international shipping in the Red Sea, which serves as a critical route between Asia and Europe. Due to the security threat, a growing number of shipping companies have rerouted their shipping vessels to avoid the Red Sea, taking far more time-consuming and expensive alternatives to reach their destination.

In late 2023, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spearheaded the formation of an international coalition to combat the increasing Houthi threat to global shipping. The coalition included the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and Bahrain.

While the United States has led military strikes on the Houthis, the Houthi rebels in Yemen have continued attacking international shipping, in addition to launching missile attacks against the Jewish state.

In addition to boosting Israel’s military capabilities against the Houthi threat, the Middle East Monitor report believes that diplomatic relations between Israel and Somaliland could also lead to mutually beneficial economic opportunities.

Somaliland, an impoverished desert region, would benefit from Israeli agriculture technologies and such an alliance could also stimulate Israeli exports.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is one of the few countries with ties to both Israel and Somaliland. According to unconfirmed diplomatic sources cited by Middle East Monitor, the UAE is reportedly playing a key role in facilitating efforts to secure a diplomatic and political agreement between Israel and Somaliland.

Neighboring Somalia is one of some 28 largely Muslim-majority United Nations member states that do not recognize Israel. In 2022, there were unconfirmed reports that Somalia and Israel were seeking to establish bilateral diplomatic ties, however, there are still no formal relations between the two countries.