Somalia will not accept an Israeli presence “under any circumstances”, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has said, accusing Israel of seeking to establish a naval base and use an airport in the disputed port city of Berbera.
In an interview, Mr Mohamud said the alleged plans were aimed at bringing Israel closer to the Gulf states and Iran. He warned that attempts to draw Somalia into conflicts across the Middle East would fail.
Berbera lies on the Gulf of Aden in Somaliland, the self-declared republic in north-western Somalia which is claimed by Mogadishu. The port faces Yemen, close to the Bab al-Mandeb strait, a key shipping route where Iran-aligned Houthi forces have previously blockaded Israel-linked vessels.
“We will overcome the challenges posed to our country by Israeli moves,” Mr Mohamud said.
The Somali president described Israel as a “destabilising force” which did not abide by international law. He also linked the alleged Berbera plans to the idea of “Greater Israel”, a term used for proposals extending Israeli control beyond its current borders, with some versions stretching from the Nile to the Euphrates.
Israel has not adopted the concept as official policy. However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an interview in August 2025 that he felt connected to the vision, prompting condemnation from Arab governments.
Somalia disputes Israel’s recognition of Somaliland
Mr Mohamud criticised Israel’s recognition of Somaliland in December. No country other than Israel recognises the territory, whose residents, he said, were opposed to an Israeli presence.
Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 and has governed itself independently for more than three decades. It had not previously secured recognition from a United Nations member state.
The president’s comments come amid wider tensions around the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa. He also accused Yemen’s Houthis of destabilising the region and disrupting navigation through the Bab al-Mandeb strait.
Mr Mohamud said Somalia’s relations with Ethiopia were good and that Mogadishu did not object to Addis Ababa securing access to the sea through an agreement allowing it to use Somali ports for economic purposes.
