The United Arab Emirates is reportedly constructing a military base in Somaliland, an internationally unrecognized region in the Horn of Africa. According to a report by the French newspaper Le Monde, the UAE is converting the Berbera airport, located near one of the world’s most strategic maritime routes, into a military installation. The report claims the project is intended to serve the interests of Abu Dhabi, Tel Aviv, and Washington.

Somaliland, with its capital in Hargeisa, lies along the Gulf of Aden and has an 800-kilometer coastline near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a key global trade and energy supply route between Asia and Europe. Since declaring independence from Somalia in 1991, the region has drawn attention from regional and international powers. Despite opposition from Arab and Muslim countries, Israel has recognized Somaliland as an independent entity.

Le Monde further reported that military cooperation between Israel and Somaliland is expanding, with regular visits by military and intelligence officials, training of Somaliland officers in Tel Aviv, and frequent inspections by Israeli teams at the Berbera base.