Any Israeli presence in Somaliland will be a “target”: Houthi leader | News from the Houthis

Israel announced on Friday that it officially recognized Somaliland, a first for the self-proclaimed republic since 1991.

The leader of Yemen’s Houthi rebels has warned that any Israeli presence in Somaliland would be considered a “military target”, in his latest condemnation of Israel’s decision to recognize the breakaway region.

“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,” said the group’s leader, Abdel-Malik al-Houthi, according to a statement published by rebel online media.

Israel announced Friday that it officially recognized Somaliland, a first for the self-proclaimed republic which in 1991 declared it unilaterally separate from Somalia.

The Houthi leader warned the move would have serious consequences, saying recognition is “a hostile stance targeting Somalia and its African environs, as well as Yemen, the Red Sea and countries along both sides of the Red Sea.”

Somaliland, which has demanded international recognition for decades, enjoys a strategic position on the Gulf of Aden and has its own money, passport and army.

Regional analysts say rapprochement with Somaliland would give Israel better access to the Red Sea, allowing it to strike Houthi rebels in Yemen.

After launching its genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023, Israel repeatedly struck targets in Yemen in response to Houthi attacks on Israel, which Yemeni rebels said were in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

The Houthis have stopped their attacks since the start of a fragile truce in Gaza in October.

Somaliland has been diplomatically isolated since its unilateral declaration of independence, although it has generally enjoyed greater stability than Somalia, where Al-Shabab fighters periodically stage attacks in the capital, Mogadishu.

Israel’s recognition of Somaliland has been criticized by the African Union, Egypt, Turkey, the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council, and the Saudi-based Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

The European Union insisted that Somalia’s sovereignty must be respected.