houthi-leader-warns-against-israeli-presence-in-somaliland

Yemen’s Houthi rebels have warned that any Israeli presence in Somaliland would be considered a legitimate military target constituting aggression against Somalia and Yemen.

The group’s leader, Abdel-Malik al-Houthi, said in a statement issued late Sunday that they would consider any Israeli presence to be a threat to the security of the 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,” he said.

Additionally, al-Houthi has also warned that Israeli’s move would carry grave consequences, saying: “The recognition is a hostile stance targeting Somalia and its African neighbours, with implications of the move reaching Yemen, the Red Sea, and the nations existing along the shores of the sea.”

The Houthi group’s comments come in the wake of Israel’s formal recognition of the self-proclaimed republic of Somaliland as an independent state. On December 26, Israel became the first country to announce that it would recognise Somaliland, a breakaway region that had declared independence from Somalia in 1991. However, it has so far remained unrecognised by the international community. 

 

Also Read: World slams Israel for recognising Somaliland

Somaliland has for decades pushed for international recognition and occupies an important strategic position in the Gulf of Aden. It maintains its own passport, currency, and army.

Israel’s recognition of it, according to international experts, would enable the country to have better access of the Red Sea, which could help its forces target the Houthis in Yemen.

Since invading Gaza in 2023, Israel has constantly struck targets in Yemen in response to the rebel group’s attacks on Israel.

The group ceased its attacks following a fragile truce between Hamas and Israel that began in Gaza on October 10.

The Israeli government’s move received massive international backlash from the African Union, Middle Eastern countries, the EU and the United States, which reaffirmed their commitment to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Somalia and rejected any unilateral changes to its borders.