Somalia just refused to let Israel build a base on its coast
1 hour ago · 3 October 2026Share
President of Somalia Hassan Sheikh Mohamud addressing the Somali press with Voice of America. Voice of America · Public domain
Somalia's president just said no to Israel.
Hassan Sheikh Mohamud says Israel is planning a naval base in Berbera. He says Israel also wants to use the city's airport.
And he says Somalia will not accept any Israeli presence in the country. Under any circumstances.
He said this to Al Jazeera. The excerpts came out a short time ago. The full interview airs later on Al Jazeera Arabic.
So where is Berbera? It's a port city on the Gulf of Aden. It sits in Somaliland.
And here's the twist. Somaliland broke away from Somalia back in 1991. No country recognised it. Not one. Until Israel did, in December last year.
Somalia still says Somaliland belongs to it. It called Israel's recognition an attack on its sovereignty.
So why does Mohamud think Israel wants a base there? He says it's not really about Somalia at all. He says it's about getting closer to the Gulf states. And closer to Iran.
He says quote "We will overcome the challenges posed to our country by Israeli moves".
That's Somalia's president saying this is a fight, not just a complaint.
Mohamud also used a bigger phrase. He called the Berbera plan part of "Greater Israel".
Now, Israel has never made that official policy. But Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's Prime Minister, said last August that he felt connected to the idea. Arab governments condemned it at the time. Mohamud is now using that same language for Israel's move into the Horn of Africa.
He went further. He called Israel a destabilising force. He says it doesn't follow international law.
And here's the thing. Mohamud has said all this before.
Back in February, he told Al Jazeera that Somalia would never allow an Israeli base in Somaliland. He said Somalia would confront it. He called Israel's recognition of Somaliland reckless and illegal.
The rest of this story is for members.
Contains modified Capella Space satellite data of Hargeisa, Woqooyi Galbeed, Somaliland, Somalia. File photo. Capella Space · CC BY 4.0
So what's actually new this time? The detail. A named port. A named airport. And the "Greater Israel" framing.
The base claim itself isn't new either. Back in January, a Somaliland foreign ministry official told Israel's Channel 12 that a military base was already being discussed.
But Israel and Somaliland have both denied any base is planned.
Mohamud's interview doesn't settle that. It just repeats Somalia's position. No base. Not ever.
So why does Berbera matter so much? Location.
It faces Yemen across the water. It sits close to the Bab al-Mandeb strait. That's one of the narrowest, most fought-over shipping routes on Earth.
And Yemen's Houthis, who are aligned with Iran, took the whole Red Sea coast of Yemen last month. They pushed onto islands inside the strait. They've blockaded ships linked to Israel there before.
Mohamud accused the Houthis directly. He says they're destabilising the region. He says they're disrupting ships moving through the strait.
That puts Somalia on the same side as Saudi Arabia here. Saudi Arabia has been targeted by the Houthis too. Three days ago, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said the kingdom will not hesitate to respond firmly to any threat. He said the Houthis chose chaos and destruction.
Mohamud wasn't only talking about Israel, either. He said the United States remains Somalia's strongest partner against al-Shabab. He said the group has no presence in Somalia's major cities now. No chance of taking over the country.
He also said Somalia has no objection to Ethiopia getting access to the sea through Somali territory. He called relations between the two countries good.
So what don't we know? Israel has not responded to any of this. No other outlet has independently confirmed the Berbera base plan. Right now, this rests on Mohamud's own words to Al Jazeera.
And we don't know if the plan is further along than what a Somaliland official described back in January.
Israel and Somaliland keep denying a base is being built. Somalia's president keeps saying, publicly and repeatedly, that it is.
Nothing here was paid for by an advertiser. Members are the entire business model. Bronze is where it starts, and it opens the last seven days in full.
