The French newspaper Le Monde has published a report titled: “UAE discreetly builds military base in Somaliland for US and Israel”, revealing that Berbera Airport in the internationally unrecognised region of Somaliland is being transformed into a military base near one of the world’s most important shipping routes for the benefit of Abu Dhabi, Tel Aviv and Washington.
Somaliland, whose capital is Hargeisa, lies on the Gulf of Aden, one of the world’s busiest maritime routes. It has a coastline of around 800 kilometres, while the Port of Berbera holds a strategic position near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, one of the world’s most important waterways for global trade and energy supplies between Asia and Europe. The region, which declared independence from Somalia in 1991, has since become a focus of interest for regional and international powers. It prompted Israel to recognise it as an independent region amid Egyptian, Arab and Islamic rejection
Le Monde also said that security cooperation between Israel and Somaliland has increased through reciprocal visits by military and intelligence delegations, the training of Somaliland officers in Tel Aviv, and visits by Israeli military teams to the Berbera base.
