Houthis warn Israeli presence in Somaliland would be ‘military target’

SANA’A –

The leader of Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement has warned that any Israeli presence in Somaliland would be treated as a “military targe,t” intensifying regional backlash against Israel’s decision to recognise the breakaway territory.

“We consider any Israeli presence in Somaliland a military target for our armed forces, as it constitutes aggression against Somalia and Yemen, and a threat to the security of the region,” the group’s chief, Abdel-Malik al-Houthi, said in a statement published by Houthi media outlets.

Dismissing Israel’s move as legally and politically void, al-Houthi said: “This declaration comes from an occupying power that has no legitimacy even for itself and holds no value on the scales of justice and law. This step, taken with hostile intentions and an aggressive agenda, is completely invalid.”

He accused Israel of seeking to transform Somaliland into a base for hostile operations targeting Somalia, neighbouring African states, Yemen and the wider Arab world, warning that such a development would endanger security in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

Reaffirming what he described as unwavering support for the Somali people, al-Houthi said: “We will take all possible measures to stand with our brothers, the Somali people. This includes considering any Israeli presence in Somaliland a military target for our armed forces. This constitutes an attack on Somalia and Yemen and an open threat to regional security, and it must be met with firm resistance.”

He stressed that the Houthis would not allow any part of Somalia to become an Israeli foothold at the expense of the country’s security, independence and sovereignty, and urged states on both sides of the Red Sea, as well as the wider Arab and Islamic world, to take concrete action to prevent what he described as Israeli violations of Somali sovereignty and that of other Muslim and independent nations.

Israel announced on Friday that it was formally recognising Somaliland, becoming the first country to do so since the territory unilaterally declared independence from Somalia in 1991.

Somaliland, which has long sought international recognition, occupies a strategic position along the Gulf of Aden and maintains its own currency, passport system and security forces.

Regional analysts say closer ties with Somaliland could offer Israel enhanced access to the Red Sea, potentially strengthening its ability to strike Houthi positions in Yemen.

Following the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023, Israel repeatedly launched strikes on targets in Yemen in response to Houthi attacks, which the group said were carried out in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. The Houthis have halted those attacks since a fragile truce began in Gaza in October.

Despite enjoying relative stability compared with much of Somalia, Somaliland has remained diplomatically isolated since its declaration of independence. Somalia, meanwhile, continues to face periodic attacks by al-Shabab militants, including in the capital, Mogadishu.

Israel’s recognition of Somaliland has drawn sharp criticism from a range of regional and international actors, including the African Union, Egypt, Turkey, the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council and the Saudi-based Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. The European Union has also insisted that Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected.