Katz touts years-long ‘under the radar’ ties in meeting with Somaliland president

Defense minister says two nations seeking to take security ties to ‘new heights’; his Somaliland counterpart dispels ‘rumors’ Israel in talks to build military base in country

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and Reuters

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Defense Minister Israel Katz on Wednesday said Israel and Somaliland have been cooperating “under the radar” for “many years,” during a meeting with Somaliland’s visiting President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi.

“For many years, we cooperated under the radar in a series of operations that will remain classified. Now we are determined to bring our security cooperation to new heights, for the benefit of both peoples and for the benefit of stability in the region,” he said, according to remarks published by his office.

Located in the Horn of Africa, Somaliland enjoys a strategic position across the Gulf of Aden from Yemen, where the Houthi rebels hold territory, making it strategically valuable for Israel.

Abdullahi is making his first state visit abroad since becoming president. In December, Israel became the first country in the world to recognize Somaliland, which broke away from Somalia in 1991.

From the Israeli side, the meeting was also attended by the head of the IDF’s Planning Directorate, Maj. Gen. Hidai Zilberman, senior Defense Ministry officials, and Israel’s designated Ambassador to Somaliland Michael Lotem.

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On the Somaliland side, the country’s Defense Minister Mohamed Yusuf Ali, presidential affairs minister, army chief, president’s chief of staff, deputy intelligence chief, and designated ambassador to Israel participated.

Ali told Reuters on Wednesday that there was no Israeli military presence in Somaliland and there are no talks about Israel opening a base there.

Speaking on the sidelines of a business conference in Tel Aviv, he said Israel was training Somaliland’s military and police, but dismissed reports that Israel was in negotiations to establish a military base in the territory as “rumors.”

Lotem declined to comment.

Somaliland has enjoyed effective autonomy — and relative peace and stability — since it ​broke away from Somalia as that country descended into civil war.

In February, Abdullahi told Reuters that while Somaliland hopes for future military cooperation with Israel, establishing Israeli military bases had not been discussed.

The Somali Guardian reported on Sunday that Israel had opened an intelligence base in Somaliland and there were discussions over the possible establishment of an Israeli military base.

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