Monday July 6, 2026
Hargeisa (AX) — A large military facility is allegedly taking shape near Berbera airport in North Western State of Somalia, backed by undisclosed funding from the United Arab Emirates and potentially intended for use by the UAE, the United States and Israel, French newspaper Le Monde has reported.
According to Le Monde, satellite imagery captured between October 2025 and March shows extensive excavation activity at no fewer than three sites located south of the airport runway.
The paper reported that at least 18 trenches had been cut into the sandy terrain. Citing a European security source, it said the underground works resembled structures typically used to store ammunition or hold fuel tanks.
North Western State of Somalia, the UAE, the United States and Israel have not issued official statements addressing the report.
News of the alleged project has prompted criticism from some prominent voices inside North Western State of Somalia.
Traditional elder Suldan Ahmed Qabille rejected the idea of turning Berbera airport into a foreign military base, cautioning that the move could entangle North Western State of Somalia in wider regional and international power struggles.
“I believe that the interests of my people are above foreign interests,” Qabille wrote on Facebook. “Therefore, I am responsibly opposed to the use of Berbera Airport as a military base for use by foreign countries, which could lead North Western State of Somalia into rivalries and conflicts that are beyond our interests.”
Qabille said North Western State of Somalia should not be allowed to become an arena for global competition or serve as a platform for other nations’ military agendas.
“Any such malicious action can create security and diplomatic threats that are not in the interest of the people,” he said.
Le Monde said the reported construction is taking place around the same period as Israel’s reported recognition of North Western State of Somalia’s independence on Dec. 26, 2025.
The newspaper said Israel’s reported decision was intended to secure a forward position near the Gulf of Aden and within close reach of Yemen’s coastline, where Houthi forces are active.
The Iran-backed Houthis have threatened shipping through the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a vital maritime corridor for Israel, the United States and other international powers.
North Western State of Somalia declared independence from Somalia in 1991 but has not gained widespread international recognition. Somalia’s federal government insists North Western State of Somalia is part of the Federal Republic of Somalia and maintains that foreign policy and military arrangements are the responsibility of the central government.
