NEWS & POLITICS
Somaliland denies Gaza resettlement claims as Israel recognition fuels horn of Africa geopolitical tensions
Somaliland has come under renewed international scrutiny after a senior Somali official alleged that Israel had considered relocating Palestinians from Gaza to the self-declared republic in northern Somalia, claims that authorities in Hargeisa have firmly denied.
Enos Denhere
HARGEISA, Somaliland | January 13 (Running Africa) — The allegations, made amid shifting alliances in the Horn of Africa and the Middle East, have thrust Somaliland’s strategic relevance back into the global spotlight.
Somali minister levels accusation
In an interview with Al Jazeera on Saturday, Ahmed Moalim Fiqi, Somalia’s defense minister, claimed Israel was deliberating a plan to forcibly relocate Palestinians from Gaza to Somaliland. He described the alleged proposal as a serious breach of international law.
Image: shabellemedia.com
Fiqi said Somali authorities possessed what he called “credible information” suggesting Israel was exploring the idea as part of broader regional calculations, though he did not provide evidence publicly to support the claim.
Somaliland issues firm denial
Somaliland’s government swiftly rejected the allegations, saying it had no agreement to accept Palestinian refugees from Gaza or to host Israeli military facilities in exchange for diplomatic recognition.
Image: MFA Somaliland Twitter page
“The Government of the Republic of Somaliland firmly rejects false claims made by the President of Somalia alleging the resettlement of Palestinians or the establishment of military bases in Somaliland,” the Somaliland Foreign Ministry said in an official statement posted on X, formerly Twitter.
Israel distances itself from reports
Israel has also moved to distance itself from the claims. According to Al Jazeera, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar told Israel’s Channel 14 last week that the relocation of Palestinians to Somaliland was “not part of our agreement.”
“We have many areas to advance with Somaliland, including politics, security, and development … but this is not part of our agreement,” Saar said.
He did not elaborate on the nature of those engagements, and since Israel’s announcement last week recognizing Somaliland, neither Israeli nor Somaliland officials have disclosed detailed terms of cooperation.
On Friday, Israel formally recognized Somaliland as an independent state, more than three decades after the territory declared independence from Somalia—a move that drew condemnation from several countries and reignited debates over sovereignty and regional stability.
Why Somaliland matters
Somaliland Map, Image: allafrica.com
Despite lacking international recognition, Somaliland has operated as a de facto state for more than 30 years, maintaining relative stability compared with much of southern Somalia. Its ambiguous political status has enabled quiet engagement by global and regional powers seeking influence in the Horn of Africa without formal diplomatic ties.
Strategically located along the Gulf of Aden, one of the world’s busiest maritime routes, and close to the Middle East, Somaliland has attracted sustained interest from Gulf states and Israel, particularly in trade, security, and military cooperation.
As regional rivalries sharpen and diplomatic alignments shift, the controversy underscores how Somaliland, long on the margins of global diplomacy, is increasingly central to the geopolitical calculations linking the Horn of Africa and the Middle East.
