Berbera – The commander of the Somaliland Coast Guard has urged holidaymakers traveling to coastal towns to follow official safety guidance, stating that only the Coast Guard has the legal authority to designate safe swimming areas.
Admiral Ahmed Hurre Haariye issued the warning on Saturday ahead of the peak holiday travel period to Berbera and other coastal towns, where thousands of people typically gather during Eid and other public holidays.
“Anyone who wants to know safe areas for swimming should consult the Coast Guard,” he said, emphasizing that maritime security falls solely under his agency’s mandate.
He cautioned against relying on guidance from other institutions, including non-governmental organizations or government bodies that are not legally tasked with ensuring coastal security.
“The law clearly defines who is responsible for maritime security,” he said, adding that the Coast Guard operates a 24-hour hotline for emergencies and assistance.
Each year, large numbers of visitors from Hargeisa, Borama, and Burco travel to Berbera’s beaches during the holidays. Overcrowding and unfamiliarity with local sea conditions have, in the past, led to drownings and other safety incidents.
The commander did not specify any particular threat but stressed the importance of cooperation with security personnel to prevent accidents.
The warning comes at a time of heightened attention on Somaliland’s coastline. Israel recently recognized Somaliland as a sovereign state and is reportedly exploring closer security ties with the self-declared republic, including assessing coastal sites west of Berbera for potential strategic cooperation.
The Republic of Somaliland has put a clear deal on the table for Washington. In February 2026, its minister of the presidency stated the territory is ready to grant the United States exclusive access to critical minerals—including rare earth elements, lithium, and others vital for technology and defense—plus rights to establish military bases at the strategic port of Berbera.
This comes as Somaliland presses hard for formal international recognition. Israel already took the step in late December 2025, becoming the first nation to recognize it as an independent state, citing shared security interests in the Red Sea region.
Berbera sits at a key chokepoint near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, through which a large share of global trade and oil flows. With tensions rising in the Gulf and routes shifting toward the Red Sea, Somaliland positions itself as a reliable, stable partner—unlike Somalia, which remains mired in conflict and dysfunction.
Somaliland has maintained peace, held elections, built institutions, and kept its own currency and borders since reclaiming independence in 1991 after union with Somalia collapsed amid atrocities. It now offers the U.S. a low-risk alternative to volatile basing arrangements elsewhere, including potential relocation of assets from places like Al Udeid.
The proposal is straightforward: deliver recognition, gain strategic footholds and resource access that strengthen American interests against rivals like China and Iran. Somaliland delivers governance and security where others fail. Washington should seize the opportunity before others do.
HARGEISA – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, through its Diaspora Department, has officially launched an online platform dedicated to registering and managing the data of Somaliland citizens living abroad. The launch marks a historic milestone, being the first centralized digital system of its kind implemented in 35 years.
Officials stated that the new website is designed to bridge the communication gap between the government and its citizens abroad, providing a formal channel for data collection and service delivery.
Speaking at the launch event in Hargeisa, the Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mohamed Abdirahman Hassan, emphasized the strategic importance of the project. “This platform addresses a long-standing need and represents a significant achievement for our nation,” he said. “It will play a crucial role in connecting the diaspora with the ministry, strengthening cooperation, and facilitating access to government services and information. Furthermore, it will enable us to conduct a proper census of Somalilanders abroad.”
Ugbaad Nasir, the Director of the Diaspora Department, explained that the website is a comprehensive resource for citizens overseas. “This platform is a central hub where our diaspora can access accurate information from various ministries and learn about the services available to them, simplifying the process of obtaining the assistance they need,” Ms. Nasir stated. She officially invited all members of the diaspora to begin registering on the site immediately.
The initiative was praised by other government bodies for its potential to boost national development. The Director General of the Ministry of Investment and Industrial Development noted that the portal would provide reliable investment data, encouraging the diaspora to contribute to Somaliland’s economic growth. Similarly, the Chairman of the National Disaster Preparedness and Food Reserve Agency, Abdirahman Mohamed Ismail (Dixood), highlighted its utility in crisis response. “This platform will allow us to share real-time information on droughts and other disasters, enabling the diaspora to effectively participate in humanitarian relief efforts for their homeland,” he said.
Reactions from the diaspora community were overwhelmingly positive. Dr. Mohamed Caydiid Cilmi, a Somalilander residing in Finland, hailed the move as a “long-overdue step forward,” expressing his satisfaction with the improved access to government services. The Vice Chairman of the Somaliland community in Denmark, Hassan Omar, echoed this sentiment, describing the launch as a timely development that meets a critical need.
In his closing remarks, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Abdirahman Dahir Adan, underscored the profound role of the diaspora in the nation’s history. “Our diaspora have been the backbone of our country, particularly during our struggle for recognition and our national campaigns,” Minister Adan stated. “To honor that partnership and build a deeper, more structured relationship, this website has been created. It is a tool to keep them informed and connected to the homeland they have given so much to support.” The Minister concluded by commending the Diaspora Department for their extensive work in bringing the project to fruition.
HARGEISA — Somaliland’s President, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi (Irro), has declared that the nation has moved beyond state-building and internal peace consolidation to enter a new phase focused squarely on securing international recognition.
In an interview with the Financial Times in Hargeisa, President Irro reflected on Somaliland’s lengthy, home-grown nation-building process, which he stated was a collaborative effort between its citizens and successive governments. Since his election in 2024, he said, his administration has built upon the foundational work of his predecessors, continuing to present Somaliland’s comprehensive legal, historical, and political case to the world.
The lack of recognition, President Irro explained, remains a significant barrier to unlocking international economic opportunities, particularly in trade and investment. This status, he noted, fundamentally limits Somaliland’s ability to engage with global markets and forge economic partnerships.
He further emphasized that Somaliland’s renowned peace and stability were achieved through the unique, grassroots efforts of its people, who historically convened under trees to negotiate and resolve conflicts. These indigenous peace accords ultimately paved the way for the creation of a constitution, governing institutions, and the reassertion of Somaliland’s independence in 1991.
President Irro also highlighted Somaliland’s track record of conducting successive free and fair elections—a practice he described as a rarity on the African continent and a clear demonstration of the nation’s deep-rooted democratic commitment.
Somalia has warned that its territory cannot be used as a launching pad for military operations, after two media reports that said Israel is planning to establish a military base in the breakaway region of Somaliland, directly across the Gulf of Aden from Yemen.
“Somalia does not want to see its territory pulled into external confrontations or used in ways that could further destabilise an already sensitive region,” Ali Omar, Somalia’s state minister for foreign affairs, told Al Jazeera on Thursday.
The warning from Mogadishu comes after US outlet Bloomberg and Sweden’s public radio Ekot reported this week about Israeli plans for a military installation near the strategic port city of Berbera on the Gulf of Aden.
The reports come as the US‑Israeli war on Iran edges towards its second week, with the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed and the Houthis warning that they are prepared to enter the conflict.
In comments to Bloomberg, Somaliland’s presidency minister, Khadar Abdi, said Somaliland would pursue a “strategic relationship” with Israel that “encompasses a lot of things.” He added that the possibility of an Israeli base had not yet been discussed yet, but that it “will be analysed at some point.”
Omar said the “Federal Government is the only authority empowered to enter into international security or military arrangements on behalf of the country.”
“Any discussions about foreign military facilities on Somali territory that take place outside that framework simply have no legal standing,” he said.
Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991, but had not secured recognition from any UN member state until Israel’s move to recognise the breakaway region in December. Somalia, however, continues to claim Somaliland, which has governed itself independently for more than three decades.
Somaliland officials have not divulged what was agreed upon with Israel when they established full diplomatic ties in December.
On January 1, its Ministry of Foreign Affairs flatly denied allegations from the Somali government that any military arrangements were under discussion with Israel, insisting its engagement with Israel was “purely diplomatic.” Shortly after, a ministry official told Israel’s Channel 12 that a base was “on the table and being discussed”.
In February, Khadar Hussein Abdi, Somaliland’s minister of the presidency, told the news agency AFP he “could not rule out” allowing Israel to establish a military presence.
Israel recognised Somaliland as an independent state on December 26th, becoming the first country to do so after more than three decades of failed bids by the breakaway region.
The Somali minister’s remarks come as the US-Israeli war on Iran escalates. The Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20 percent of global oil and gas supplies transit, has effectively been closed amid Iranian threats of attacks on shipping.
Elsewhere in the region, Israel has intensified attacks on Lebanon, killing at least 687 people and wounding more than 1,500, according to Lebanese authorities. It launched the attacks last Monday after the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, a close Iranian ally, fired rockets in retaliation for the US-Israeli killing of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Yemen’s Houthis, another key ally of Tehran, have so far not been directly involved in the war, but they have said they are prepared to enter the conflict.
The group, which controls northern, western and central Yemen, has previously warned against an Israeli presence in Somaliland, describing it as a “hostile stance” and “legitimate target”.
Amid the growing focus on shipping lanes in the Middle East, attention has also turned to the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a narrow waterway linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, through which roughly 12 percent of global trade passes.
Yemen’s Houthis have previously enforced a blockade on Israel-linked ships in the area in support of Palestinians in Gaza during Israel’s genocidal war.
The US embassy in Djibouti this week repeated a warning to US citizens against being near Camp Lemmonier, the US’s largest base in Africa, a sign of concern that the conflict could spread.
“The Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden are critical corridors for global trade and regional security, and instability there affects the entire Horn of Africa,” Omar told Al Jazeera.
“When regional tensions rise, civilian populations are always the most vulnerable,” Omar told Al Jazeera, adding that, “steps that could expose Somali communities to unnecessary risks or draw them into wider geopolitical conflicts are not in the interest of our people”.
Amid the Iran war, Israel is quietly planning for a potential base at the mouth of the Red Sea that would allow it to target one of Tehran’s last-remaining proxies.
While the Iran war rages, Israel is quietly planning for a potential base at the mouth of the Red Sea from which to strike one of the Islamic Republic’s last proxies still operating at full strength: the Houthis of Yemen.
That’s thanks to Somaliland, the breakaway territory on the Gulf of Aden that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government recognized in December — a move that handed Israel its first diplomatic presence across from Yemen. Now, the Jewish state will follow up with a strategic security partnership that may involve Israel building a base – possibly covert – on its pristine coast, despite widespread regional criticism, according to Khadar Hussein Abdi, Somaliland’s minister of the presidency.
Khadar Hussein Abdi, Somaliland’s minister of the presidency, at his office in Hargeisa, Somaliland, on Feb 12.Photographer: Simon Marks/Bloomberg
“In terms of security, we will have a strategic relationship and that encompasses a lot of things,” Abdi told Bloomberg at his office in Hargeisa, the capital. “We haven’t discussed with them if it becomes a military base, but definitely there will be an analysis at some point.”
The breakaway state will allow Israel to gather intelligence on and conduct operations against the Houthis, according to two Somaliland officials who requested anonymity as they’re not authorized to speak publicly. The Yemeni group has struck the Jewish state with long-range weapons and has for years disrupted trade in the Red Sea, one of the world’s most vital shipping corridors.
Since the US and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, oil and gas prices have surged, with the Strait of Hormuz — which carries about a fifth of the world’s oil — effectively closed. As the conflict has dragged on, the shipping industry has faced escalating war-risk insurance premiums, with Iran striking several vessels. So far the Houthis have held back on attacking ships in the waterway but have suggested they could enter the war. The Houthi foreign ministry said Iran’s attacks on US bases in Gulf states were part of its “right to self-defense” and that Arab governments should direct their “hostility” towards “world Zionism, its American arm, and the Israeli entity,” according to BBC Monitoring, citing a Tuesday report by Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV.
Even if the war ends swiftly, it underscores the importance of Israel’s desire to secure a presence at the gateway to the Red Sea.
The Gulf of Aden off the mouth of the Red Sea, one of the world’s most vital shipping corridors, from Berbera, Somaliland, on Feb 11.Photographer: Simon Marks /Bloomberg
Israel has already begun laying the groundwork for a potential base. Last June, a small group of Israeli security officials arrived in Somaliland to visit its strategic coastline, according to people familiar with the matter.
The group spent days surveying the self-declared nation’s beaches, in order to identify a possible site for a base or installation to fight the Houthis, based just 260 kilometers (160 miles) across the Gulf of Aden in Yemen, the people said. A spokesperson for the Israeli government didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
One location under consideration by Israel, according to people familiar with the matter, is an area of high terrain about 100 kilometers (62 miles) west of Berbera, the port city where the United Arab Emirates – which normalized relations with Israel under the Abraham Accords – has both a DP World harbor and a military airstrip.
Israel Is Exploring Security Operations in Somaliland
Operational base would provide site for fighting Houthis
Source: Bloomberg
The Houthis — considered a terrorist group by the US — have held their fire since the US-Israeli attacks on Iran, but remain Tehran’s most formidable proxy after Israel crippled both Hamas and Hezbollah. Tensions between the group and Israel escalated in 2023, after the Yemeni militia began bombing both the Red Sea and the Jewish state in retaliation for the war in Gaza.
A protest organized by the Iran-backed Houthis, against the killing of Iran’s leader and US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran, in Sanaa, Yemen, on March 6.Photographer: Mohammed Hamoud/Anadolu/Getty Images
An Israeli general has established a special intelligence unit on the Houthis and said in a background briefing with Bloomberg that they have hundreds of rockets that can reach Israel.
“The Israeli relationship with Somaliland matters in large part because the Houthis are expanding along the Horn of Africa,” said Ari Heistein, a research fellow at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security. “If the ongoing US-Israel campaign degrades Iran’s ability to support the movement, the region could become an even more critical strategic arena for them.”
The two governments had discussed Israeli recognition for years, according to regional officials. But the deal was sealed quickly late last year because of Israeli intelligence officers, who now view the Houthis as one of Israel’s greatest threats, according to regional diplomats and a senior Israeli military official.
Shortly after Israel’s recognition on Dec. 26, more than a dozen senior military officials from Somaliland travelled to Israel for training as part of a push to deepen security ties, according to people familiar with the matter. Israel also rented rooms fitted with blast-proof windows on the top floor of a hotel in Hargeisa, they said, as it scouts a location for an embassy.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar meets with Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, in Hargeisa, Somaliland on Jan. 6Source: Israeli Foreign Ministry/Handout/Anadolu/Getty Images
Netanyahu in December credited Mossad, among others, for helping to secure the deal to recognize Somaliland. Israeli officials also visited Hargeisa on Feb. 27, the day before war broke out in Iran.
Following the diplomatic move, 21 Arab, Islamic and African states including Egypt and Qatar expressed outrage, warning of its potential “serious repercussions” for peace and security in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea.
“The events in the Gulf, especially with Iran now attacking allies of the US, also highlight a dilemma for Somaliland – namely the prospect of getting dragged into regional conflicts without adequate defenses in place,” said Omar Mahmood, a senior analyst for Somalia at the International Crisis Group.
The Houthis emerged in the 1990s, and has been fighting a civil war in Yemen since 2014, where Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates backed the opposing side. Both Gulf countries have scaled back their involvement and now back rival non-Houthi political factions, while the militia controls the northern part of the country.
In early January, Somalia – under pressure from Saudi Arabia, which had accused Abu Dhabi of using the territory to extract a Yemeni separatist leader – cut all commercial and security ties with the UAE, specifically citing DP World’s ports in Berbera and nearby Bosaso in Puntland, another semi-autonomous region of Somalia. Both regional governments immediately rejected Somalia’s announcement.
The DP World port facility in Berbera.Photographer: Simon Marks/Bloomberg
Israel’s growing presence in Somaliland places the country in direct competition with Turkey, which is the main supporter of the central Somali government. It comes as Israeli officials have increasingly framed Ankara as a key threat to the Jewish state, with former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett recently referring to Turkey as “the new Iran.”
“For Israel, recognition of Somaliland offers a security counterweight to Houthi dominance in the Gulf of Aden,” said Conor Vasey, an analyst at the London-based advisory firm J.S. Held. “Specifically, it helps balance rising Turkish influence in Somalia.”
Turkey’s ambassador to Somalia, Alper Aktas, right, attends the inauguration ceremony of the Northeastern State administration, following it’s separation from Somaliland, in Las Anod, Somalia, on Jan. 17.Photographer: Abuukar Mohamed Muhidin/Anadolu/Getty Images
Turkey has developed its largest overseas military training base in Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital, and recently deployed F-16 jets to protect its interests in the country that include a ship exploring for offshore oil and gas. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called Israel’s recognition of Somaliland illegal on a December trip to the region.
Beyond the Middle East powers jockeying for influence, the Islamist groups Al-Shabaab and Islamic State in Somalia have both threatened to attack Somaliland should Israel use the country for its own interests.
“We have a lot of enemies to this, who really want to put pressure on Israel,” said Mohamed Abdirahman, director-general of Somaliland’s foreign ministry.
The breakaway state now has its sights set on the ultimate prize – US recognition.
Already, Republican-aligned US Africa experts are rallying to its cause, including J. Peter Pham, who served as Trump’s envoy to the Sahel and Great Lakes regions in his first term, and Tibor Nagy, who then served as assistant secretary of state for Africa. Hargeisa has also hired the lobbying firm FGS Global to make its case to the Trump administration, and London-based Panterra as an adviser.
“As for strategic real estate, it is hard to beat Somaliland,” Pham told Bloomberg, noting the presence of Africa’s longest runway at 5,000 meters (3 miles) long as well as its deep-water port facilities in Berbera.
The DP World port in Berbera.Photographer: Simon Marks/Bloomberg
In August, Republican Senator Ted Cruz, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Africa, sent a letter to Trump urging him to recognize Somaliland as an independent state.
The US leader has voiced his discontent with America’s three-decade long military deployment in Somalia – even as he’s conducted 162 airstrikes in Somalia, three times as many as under the Biden administration, according to data compiled by the New America Foundation.
The US has also hired a former senior intelligence officer to conduct assessments of Somaliland on behalf of the American government, according to people familiar with the matter. The US State Department didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Abdi, the minister of the presidency, said Somaliland is ready to offer the US access to its largely unexplored and unproven reserves of rare earth minerals and oil. A military base is also on the table, he said.
“They are tired of supporting the failed state of Mogadishu,” said Abdi. “They have been pumping money and military support and nothing changes in Somalia. A policy shift is coming.”
Mogadishu — President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has departed Somalia for an official visit to Djibouti, marking his first foreign trip since signing the country’s new constitution into law. The visit underscores the deep bilateral ties between the two Horn of Africa nations and carries significant political implications for regional dynamics, particularly concerning the separatist administration in Somaliland.
President Mohamud is scheduled to meet with his Djiboutian counterpart, President Ismail Omar Guelleh, in what Somali federal officials describe as a strategic engagement aimed at strengthening cooperation. The discussions are expected to focus on enhancing bilateral relations in the critical areas of security, economic partnership, and political coordination.
According to officials traveling with the delegation, the two leaders will also deliberate on broader regional security matters, including the evolving situation in the Horn of Africa and the ongoing tensions in the Middle East.
Regional and Political Implications for Somaliland
The visit carries substantial political repercussions for the separatist administration in Hargeisa, which has been actively pursuing international recognition.
Djibouti, a key member of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), has historically been one of Somalia’s staunchest allies. By hosting President Mohamud for high-level talks focused on unity and cooperation, Djibouti is reaffirming its commitment to Somalia’s territorial integrity. This engagement directly undermines Somaliland’s pursuit of separate statehood, demonstrating that one of its immediate neighbors remains firmly opposed to any fragmentation of Somalia.
The timing of the visit is particularly significant, coming on the heels of recent geopolitical developments in the region. The report highlights that Djibouti has strongly condemned Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, viewing it as a violation of Somali sovereignty. This joint stance between Mogadishu and Djibouti isolates the Hargeisa administration further and complicates its strategy of seeking recognition through bilateral port and base deals with foreign nations.
Furthermore, the focus on security cooperation between Somalia and Djibouti—particularly regarding the fight against Al-Shabaab—helps recenter the regional narrative on counterterrorism and stability. This framing marginalizes secessionist ambitions, positioning them as secondary to the collective security concerns of the region.
Djibouti’s demographic and historical ties to Somalia mean it views the fragmentation of its neighbor as a direct threat to its own stability. For Somaliland, this visit serves as a stark reminder that even if it secures agreements with distant powers, it will face consistent and formidable opposition from its immediate neighbors who control access to regional organizations and critical trade routes.
President Mohamud’s trip to Djibouti, his first since both houses of the Somali Federal Parliament approved the new constitution, reinforces the united front of Somalia’s neighbors against unilateral secessionist moves and reaffirms Djibouti’s role as a guardian of Somali unity in the region.
The Somaliland administration announced it has submitted a case to the United Nations aviation agency to take control of its airspace management and to counter the E-visa system that Somalia has imposed on travelers heading to Hargeisa.
The Minister of Aviation of Somaliland, Hon. Fuad Ahmed Nuuh, stated that Somalia does not effectively manage Somaliland’s airspace and fails to meet the required conditions, such as providing aircraft emergency response and managing the airports in Hargeisa and Berbera.
He also mentioned that Somaliland has requested its airspace be managed under a system similar to that of partially recognized countries like Kosovo and Taiwan.
“We are filing a complaint against Somalia because it claims to manage Somaliland’s airspace, yet it does not manage it, is not present, and its directives are not enforced. So, we have provided evidence that the legal authority it claims—that it manages the airspace—is false,” said the Minister of Aviation and Airport Development of Somaliland, Fuad Ahmed Nuuh, in an interview with MMTV.
Borama, Somaliland – The highly anticipated Telesom Borama Ramadan Cup 2026 officially commenced this week with a vibrant opening ceremony held at the Muumin Dhoolaal Stadium in Borama. The event marks the beginning of a month-long football tournament that has become a cornerstone of community life during the holy month of Ramadan.
Organized annually by Telesom, one of the region’s premier telecommunications companies, the tournament is dedicated to the youth of Borama. The opening ceremony drew enthusiastic crowds, including players, officials, and local residents, all gathered to celebrate the start of the competition.
The Telesom Borama Ramadan Cup is more than just a sporting event; it is a platform designed to foster unity and positive engagement among the city’s young population. By providing structured evening activities during Ramadan, the tournament aims to strengthen social bonds, encourage healthy competition, and promote physical well-being. It brings together teams from various neighborhoods, creating an atmosphere of camaraderie and friendly rivalry.
As the matches get underway at the Muumin Dhoolaal Stadium, the tournament is expected to draw significant local attention throughout the month, reinforcing its role in enhancing youth interaction and community spirit in Borama.
