Somalia President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has issued a fresh warning over what he describes as Israel’s plans to establish a naval base in Berbera, putting the strategically located Somaliland port at the centre of a widening regional security dispute.
Mohamud said Somalia would resist any attempt by Israel to establish a military foothold in the territory, maintaining that Mogadishu would not accept an Israeli presence “under any circumstances”.
The President made the remarks in an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera as tensions continue to surround Israel’s growing relationship with Somaliland, the self-declared republic that Somalia considers part of its sovereign territory.
According to Mohamud, Israel intends to establish a naval facility in Berbera and gain access to the city’s airport. He argued that the move would give Israel a strategic position closer to the Gulf states and Iran, while potentially drawing the Horn of Africa deeper into conflicts already raging across the Middle East.
Berbera’s location makes the dispute particularly significant.
The port sits along the Gulf of Aden, facing Yemen and close to the Bab al-Mandeb, a vital maritime passage linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. The waterway has become increasingly sensitive amid attacks on shipping and wider military tensions involving Israel, Yemen and other regional actors.
Mohamud accused Israel of acting as a destabilising force and said Somalia would not allow developments in the Middle East to spill into its territory.
“We will overcome the challenges posed to our country by Israeli moves,” the President said.
He further linked Israel’s reported ambitions in Somaliland to what he described as the “Greater Israel” project, although that terminology refers to a range of ideas rather than an officially adopted Israeli territorial policy. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu previously said he felt connected to the vision, comments that drew condemnation from Arab governments.
The controversy has its roots in Israel’s decision to recognise Somaliland in December 2025, making it the first United Nations member state to formally recognise the breakaway territory.
Somalia rejected the move, arguing that Somaliland remains part of its territory. Somaliland, meanwhile, has operated with its own government and institutions since declaring independence from Somalia in 1991, although it had not previously secured recognition from a UN member state.
The question of possible Israeli military access to Berbera has remained contentious.
Somaliland officials have previously denied that an agreement for an Israeli military base exists. Somaliland Defence Minister Mohamed Yusuf Ali also told Reuters in June that there was no Israeli military presence in the territory and no negotiations over a base, although he acknowledged Israeli training support for Somaliland’s military and police.
The strategic importance of Berbera, however, has attracted wider international attention.