HARGEISA, Somaliland — The United Arab Emirates is allegedly brokering a controversial plan to resettle potentially hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from war-torn Gaza to the self-declared republic of Somaliland, according to an investigative report.
The report, published by the investigative outlet “Dark Box,” says the plan would leverage Gaza’s humanitarian catastrophe to win long-sought international recognition for Somaliland while advancing the strategic interests of the UAE, Israel, and the United States in the Horn of Africa.
These allegations add a complex new layer to the Gaza conflict, tying it to the delicate geopolitics of one of Africa’s most strategic regions.
Citing internal documents, the report says the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) modeled post-conflict scenarios that include permanently relocating up to a quarter of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents, with Somaliland named among possible destinations.
It further alleges that U.S. and Israeli envoys have held talks with Somaliland’s leadership, framing the resettlement of Palestinian refugees as a key part of a broader deal. In exchange for accepting the displaced population, Hargeisa would reportedly receive full diplomatic recognition — a goal it has pursued since declaring independence from Somalia in 1991.
Somaliland functions as a de facto state with its own government, currency, and security forces, yet no country has officially recognized it. Such recognition would be a landmark diplomatic breakthrough.
The alleged plan underscores Somaliland’s growing strategic weight. The territory sits on the Gulf of Aden, opposite the Bab el-Mandeb strait — a chokepoint for global maritime trade.
The UAE has invested heavily in the region. Its state-owned logistics giant DP World is managing and expanding the Port of Berbera, turning it into a major regional hub. That deep economic and political footprint positions the UAE as a powerful broker in Somaliland’s affairs.
For the United States, closer ties with Somaliland could counter China’s expanding influence, including its naval base in nearby Djibouti. Israel, meanwhile, would secure a diplomatic and potential security foothold near the Red Sea.
The idea of permanently removing Palestinians from Gaza has drawn sharp condemnation from the United Nations and several Arab states, which argue it would amount to ethnic cleansing and violate international law.
The Fourth Geneva Convention prohibits individual or mass forcible transfers from occupied territory. UN officials have repeatedly stressed Palestinians’ right to remain in their homeland — and to return if displaced.
Publicly, the UAE has supported the Palestinian cause and joined other Arab nations in rejecting any plan for the permanent displacement of Gazans. The “Dark Box” report, however, alleges that Abu Dhabi’s behind-the-scenes diplomacy contradicts its public stance, using the crisis to reshape regional alignments.
The report concludes the proposal is not a humanitarian effort but a “geopolitical gambit” that uses displaced people as “currency” to achieve diplomatic and military objectives. The governments of the UAE, Israel, the United States, and Somaliland have not publicly responded to these specific allegations.