Djibouti City – Djiboutian President Ismail Omar Guelleh has strongly condemned Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, warning that the move could destabilise the Horn of Africa and intensify regional rivalries.
In an interview with Jeune Afrique magazine for its March issue, Guelleh said he was deeply alarmed by Israel’s late December decision to formally recognise the breakaway region as an independent state.
He accused the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of pursuing objectives “that are in no way peaceful” in the volatile Red Sea corridor.
The Djiboutian leader also delivered unusually blunt criticism of the United Arab Emirates, describing the Gulf state as Israel’s main “gateway” and “spearhead” in the region.
Guelleh said the UAE helped drive the diplomatic breakthrough between Israel and the authorities in Hargeisa and alleged that Abu Dhabi initiated the Somaliland recognition move, with Israel then moving quickly to capitalize on the opening.
He also accused the UAE of pushing strategic shifts across the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea that deepen existing conflicts and divisions. Guelleh further alleged Emirati involvement in destabilising dynamics in Yemen, Sudan, Somalia, Chad, and Libya.
Netanyahu, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, and Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi jointly signed Israel’s recognition of Somaliland.
Netanyahu said Israel would seek immediate cooperation with Somaliland in agriculture, health, technology, and the economy, describing the pact as being “in the spirit of the Abraham Accords.”
Sovereignty dispute
Somalia immediately condemned the Israeli declaration as an “unlawful step” and a “deliberate attack” on its territorial sovereignty.
Somaliland unilaterally declared independence from Somalia in 1991 after a brutal civil war. It has maintained its own institutions, currency, and elections for decades, but it lacked formal international recognition until Israel’s intervention.
In his remarks, Guelleh warned about the serious strategic implications for Berbera, Somaliland’s deep-water port city on the Gulf of Aden.
He said he fears that Israel could establish a military base there to secure a foothold near the vital Bab el-Mandeb strait.
Guelleh also said he worries Somaliland authorities may agree to sweeping geopolitical concessions in exchange for recognition, warning that they could grant Netanyahu “whatever he asks for” in return.
Berbera sits at the center of overlapping disputes over sovereignty, security, and foreign military access.
In March 2025, Somali authorities reportedly offered the United States exclusive control of strategic air bases and ports, including Berbera. Somaliland officials firmly rejected the proposal, insisting foreign powers must negotiate directly with Hargeisa.
Regional pushback
The African Union has strongly backed Mogadishu. On January 6, the AU’s Political Affairs, Peace and Security Council condemned the unilateral recognition and demanded its “immediate revocation.”
The European Union has also urged respect for Somalia’s unity and called for urgent dialogue.
The diplomatic crisis deepened when Israeli Foreign Minister Saar made an official visit to Somaliland in early January, a trip that Mogadishu heavily denounced.
Regional powers have also mobilised. Egypt, which is embroiled in its own disputes with Ethiopia, confirmed that its foreign minister held urgent talks in December with counterparts in Somalia, Turkey, and Djibouti about the crisis.
The ministers warned that recognising breakaway regions poses a serious threat to international peace and security.
Guelleh also drew a sharp line between Djibouti and Abu Dhabi’s regional posture, saying Djibouti has remained closely aligned with Saudi Arabia.
He said Djibouti continues to provide military base access to Saudi Arabia, underscoring his country’s role in securing the strategic waterway.
Economic stakes
For Djibouti, the Israeli move adds to existing economic and geopolitical concerns.
In early 2024, landlocked Ethiopia signed a controversial memorandum of understanding with Somaliland, seeking naval access to Berbera in exchange for possible recognition.
That agreement sharply strained ties between Addis Ababa and Mogadishu. It also raised pressure on Djibouti, which currently handles more than 90 percent of Ethiopia’s maritime trade.
Djibouti shares deep historical, linguistic, and security ties with Somalia. While it maintains trade ties with Somaliland, Guelleh’s administration refuses to establish formal diplomatic relations with Hargeisa.
Guelleh described relations with Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi “Irro” as “cold,” saying he personally refused to receive him.
He added that while the land border remains open, air links between Djibouti and Somaliland have been suspended.
For 34 years, Guelleh argued, Somaliland’s leaders have pursued recognition “at any cost,” a path he says now endangers Somali unity and violates the principles of the African Union and international law.
He sharply criticized that approach, saying Somaliland’s leaders appear willing to accept “any outstretched hand, even if it is the devil’s,” and stressed that this is not Djibouti’s position.
Guelleh also signaled that his dispute with the UAE extends beyond Somaliland, insisting that Doraleh Container Terminal would “never” be handed over to Abu Dhabi.
By intervening forcefully in the dispute, Guelleh has placed Djibouti firmly against any unilateral change to internationally recognised borders.
Observers say the stance also casts Guelleh as an implicit defender of a unified Somalia and signals his intent to shape diplomacy across the Horn as foreign rivalries increasingly entangle the region.