Somalia will not accept Israeli presence in the country “under any circumstances” and will resist any attempts to be pulled into the Middle East’s crises, its President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud tells Al Jazeera.
asserted
President → accept → Jazeera
Speaking in an exclusive interview, Mohamud said that Israel was planning to establish a naval base in Berbera and use the city’s airport, adding that its real aim was to get closer to the Gulf states and Iran.
asserted
aim → speak → states
Recommended Stories
list of 3 items- list 1 of 3Israel election double standard: Arab leader forced out, far right cleared
- list 2 of 3What to know about Brazil’s 2026 presidential election
- list 3 of 3Tens of thousands protest in Spain after failed housing reforms
Berbera is a port city on the Gulf of Aden coast in Somaliland – the self-declared republic in northwestern Somalia that Israel recognised last year, but which is claimed by Mogadishu.
asserted
which → force → Mogadishu
Berbera faces Yemen across the water near the strategic Bab al-Mandeb strait.
asserted
Berbera → face → strait
The Iran-aligned Houthis have previously enforced a blockade on Israel-linked ships in the area.
asserted
Houthis → align → area
“We will overcome the challenges posed to our country by Israeli moves,” Mohamud said in his wide-ranging interview.
asserted
Mohamud → overcome → interview
He added that the Israeli plans fall under the “Greater Israel” project – referring to a term for various proposals, often rooted in biblical interpretations, for Israeli control over territory beyond its current borders.
asserted
plans → add → borders
Some versions extend from the Nile to the Euphrates.
asserted
versions → extend → Euphrates
Israel has not adopted it as official policy, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an August 2025 interview that he felt connected to the vision, prompting condemnation from Arab governments.
asserted
he → adopt → governments
The Somali president described Israel as a “destabilising force” that does not abide by international law.
asserted
that → describe → law
He also criticised Tel Aviv’s recognition of Somaliland in December.
asserted
He → criticise → December
No country other than Israel recognises Somaliland, while the region’s own residents are completely opposed to an Israeli presence, Mohamud said.
asserted
Mohamud → recognise → presence
Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 and has governed itself independently for more than three decades.
asserted
Somaliland → declare → decades
But it had not secured recognition from any United Nations member state until Israel’s move.
asserted
it → secure → move
The Somali president told Al Jazeera the United States remains his country’s strongest partner in the fight against “terrorism”, and added that al-Shabab has no presence in the major cities, leaving no possibility of the group taking control in Somalia.
Al-Shabab is a Somali armed group that emerged from the Islamic Courts Union in the mid-2000s and pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda in 2012.
asserted
that → tell → 2012
It has fought Somalia’s federal government for years, holds territory in parts of southern and central Somalia, and has carried out deadly attacks, including in Mogadishu and in neighbouring Kenya.
asserted
It → fight → Kenya
Regarding the East Africa region, Mohamud said Somalia’s relations with neighbouring Ethiopia are good, and Mogadishu does not object to Addis Ababa gaining access to the sea through Somali territory.
asserted
Ababa → regard → territory
Ethiopia has been landlocked since Eritrea became independent in 1993 and relies largely on Djibouti’s ports for trade.
asserted
Eritrea → become → trade
In January 2024, Addis Ababa signed a memorandum of understanding with Somaliland on sea access, which Somalia condemned as a violation of its sovereignty.
asserted
Somalia → sign → sovereignty
Somalia and Ethiopia later agreed to ease tensions.
asserted
Somalia → agree → tensions
Houthis ‘destabilising’ region
Mohamud also accused Yemen’s Houthis of “destabilising” the region and disrupting navigation in the Bab al-Mandeb strait.
asserted
Mohamud → destabilise → strait
His comments come as the group attempts to build on its lightning offensive that captured the country’s Red Sea coast last month.
asserted
that → come → coast
Thus far, Yemeni government forces have been able to hold their positions on the front lines and even claimed to have inflicted heavy losses against the Houthis.
asserted
forces → hold → Houthis
The Houthis have also intensified their attacks on Saudi Arabia, but the kingdom’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) has promised not to compromise on its security, saying the Yemeni rebels chose “chaos and destruction, threatening the Yemeni people and the region”.
asserted
rebels → intensify → people
The full interview with President Mohamud will be broadcast on Al Jazeera Arabic on Sunday.
asserted
interview → broadcast → Sunday
The Aporia
