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.

Somaliland’s cabinet has approved a bilateral strategic cooperation agreement with Israel, formalizing commitments announced during President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi’s recent visit to the country. The agreement, passed unanimously in a cabinet meeting following the June trip, marks a new phase in relations between the two sides.

According to the presidential office, the deal will open new avenues of partnership in security, investment, technology exchange, and economic development. Somaliland, which declared independence from Somalia in 1991, has long struggled for international recognition. Israel became the first country to officially recognize Somaliland last year.

Geopolitical analysts cited in the report suggest that Israel’s recognition and cooperation are driven by strategic interests in the Red Sea region, particularly around the Gulf of Aden, where Israel seeks to strengthen its military and geopolitical presence and counter Iranian and Houthi influence.

Israel’s decision to recognise Somaliland as an independent state, announced by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on December 26, triggered immediate condemnation from Somalia and across Africa and the Middle East. Yemen’s Houthi movement warned that any Israeli presence in Somaliland would be treated as a military target. The tensions deepened when Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar visited Somaliland this month, including the strategic port city of Berbera, and discussed security cooperation. Somaliland officials signalled openness to hosting Israeli military assets, placing Israel directly across the Gulf of Aden from Houthi-controlled areas.

Analysts say Israel’s move reflects a strategic shift toward engaging non-traditional partners amid growing threats from Iran-backed groups. Experts cited Somaliland’s location as a potential intelligence and operational base against the Houthis, who have targeted Israeli-linked shipping in the Red Sea. Somaliland, facing diplomatic isolation and internal pressure from Somalia, views Israel’s recognition as a crucial breakthrough. Somalia’s government, however, urged renewed dialogue, warning that recognition could only come through negotiations with Mogadishu.

Both Israel and Somaliland appear to be testing the new partnership’s limits, with analysts noting that the relationship remains nascent and its long-term trajectory uncertain.

Israel has officially recognized Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state, becoming the first country to do so. The announcement was made on Friday, accompanied by the signing of an agreement to establish diplomatic relations between the two sides. Somaliland’s leader, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, expressed gratitude to Israel for the recognition, calling it a historic moment.

Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 but had waited decades for international recognition. Since Abdullahi took office as president last year, securing recognition had been a top priority for his administration. Following Israel’s announcement, Somalia’s government held an emergency meeting, and several other countries condemned Israel’s decision.

A statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the move aligns with the spirit of the Abraham Accords, referencing agreements signed during former U.S. President Donald Trump’s first term. Somaliland’s president described the recognition as the beginning of a strategic partnership and reaffirmed his country’s readiness to join the Abraham Accords to normalize relations with Israel.