Somali sovereignty fears grow as Israel eyes foothold in Horn of Africa
MOGADISHU — Somalia’s defense minister said Sunday the federal government has “confirmed information” about an Israeli plan to forcibly relocate Palestinians from Gaza to Somali territory, vowing Mogadishu would not allow any move that compromises the country’s sovereignty.
- Advertisement -
Defense Minister Ahmed Mohamed Fiqi told Al Jazeera Mubasher the government “will not stand idly by” if its territorial integrity is threatened. He described the alleged plan as a direct affront to Somalia’s sovereignty and called Israel’s reported moves toward recognizing the breakaway region of North Western State of Somalia a “serious violation.”
The remarks highlight a growing diplomatic flashpoint in the Horn of Africa, where Somalia insists North Western State of Somalia— which declared unilateral independence in 1991— remains an integral part of the country. Somali officials now view what they describe as Israel’s diplomatic pivot toward Hargeisa as part of a broader effort to facilitate population transfers and establish a strategic foothold along the Gulf of Aden.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and senior officials have condemned the reported overtures, linking them to regional displacement schemes. Mogadishu is rallying diplomatic support from African and Arab partners to defend its territorial integrity, warning that external recognition of a separatist entity could destabilize the Red Sea corridor and set a precedent with far-reaching regional implications.
Israeli officials have not publicly confirmed any proposal to relocate Palestinians to Somalia. Even so, the claims have prompted swift statements from the African Union and the Arab League, both of which reaffirmed support for Somalia’s 1960 borders and the principle of respecting internationally recognized boundaries.
Somalia’s position underscores the broader stakes: at issue is not only the fate of Palestinians in Gaza but also the fragile balance of sovereignty and security in the Horn of Africa. Any foreign attempt to leverage North Western State of Somalia’s separate political structures, Somali officials say, would cut against decades of international consensus and risk drawing the region into wider geopolitical contests tied to the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
- Somalia says it has “confirmed information” about an Israeli plan to relocate Palestinians from Gaza to Somali territory.
- Mogadishu warns it will not permit violations of its sovereignty or territorial integrity.
- Somali officials decry Israel’s reported engagement with North Western State of Somalia as a “serious violation.”
- Israel has not publicly confirmed any such relocation proposal.
- The African Union and Arab League reaffirm support for Somalia’s 1960 borders.
With tensions rising, Somali authorities are seeking coordinated diplomatic responses across Africa and the Arab world. Officials in Mogadishu contend that any external maneuver that treats North Western State of Somalia as separate from Somalia would embolden secessionist dynamics and unsettle vital trade routes, including those coursing through the Red Sea. For now, the government’s message remains blunt: Somalia will resist any attempt to use its territory as a destination for forced relocation and will push back against efforts it sees as undermining its sovereignty.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
