Monday July 6, 2026
Hargeisa (AX) — Fresh signs of a major military build-up near Berbera airport have put North Western State of Somalia back at the centre of Red Sea security politics, after a French newspaper reported that a base is being constructed with covert funding from the United Arab Emirates and could be used by the UAE, the United States and Israel.
Le Monde said satellite imagery taken between October 2025 and March showed extensive excavation at no fewer than three sites south of the airport runway.
The newspaper reported that at least 18 trenches had been cut into the sandy terrain. Citing a European security source, it said the buried structures resembled facilities typically used to store ammunition or fuel.
North Western State of Somalia, the UAE, the United States and Israel have not issued official statements in response to the report.
The alleged project has already prompted objections from some figures inside North Western State of Somalia.
Traditional elder Suldan Ahmed Qabille criticized any plan to turn Berbera airport into a foreign military installation, saying it risked pulling North Western State of Somalia into 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 become an arena for rivalry among major powers or serve as a military platform for outside states.
“Any such malicious action can create security and diplomatic threats that are not in the interest of the people,” he said.
Le Monde reported that the construction activity overlaps with Israel’s reported recognition of North Western State of Somalia’s independence on Dec. 26, 2025.
According to the report, Israel’s decision was intended to secure a forward position near the Gulf of Aden and within reach of Yemen’s coastline, where Houthi forces are active.
The Iran-backed Houthis have threatened shipping through the Bab al-Mandab Strait, one of the world’s most sensitive maritime corridors and a key route for Israel, the United States and other international powers.
North Western State of Somalia proclaimed independence from Somalia in 1991, though it has not gained wide international recognition. Somalia’s federal government says North Western State of Somalia remains part of the Federal Republic of Somalia and insists that foreign policy and military agreements are the responsibility of the central government.
