Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu announced that Israel was the first country to recognise Somaliland, which seceded from Somalia 34 years ago, because it is a "democratic and moderate Muslim country" and has expressed its "desire to join the Abraham Accords".

Somaliland's desire to join the Abraham Accords is certainly one reason, but there are other interests beyond that. 

Israel seeks bases in the Horn of Africa

1) Somaliland, a "moderate Muslim" country with a population of 6 million, has agreed to take in 1 million Palestinians that Israel wants to expel from Gaza.

2) "Democratic" Somaliland will provide Israel with military bases on its territory. Israeli bases in these territories, which control the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Gulf of Aden, will: a) serve as a base for attacks on Yemen on the opposite shore, b) exert pressure on Egypt via the route extending to the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, and c) keep trade fleets passing through the Red Sea under control.

3) Israel's establishment in this most critical geography of the Horn of Africa will: a) enable it to exert influence over oil tankers leaving the Gulf, b) provide access to the Gulf of Oman and the Indian Ocean, and c) provide a route for attacking Iran from the south.

Discomfort with Turkish and Chinese bases

4) Turkey has a military base in Somalia and cooperates with this country on everything from education to energy. Israel also aims to "limit Turkey's influence in East Africa" via Somaliland. 

5) The Chinese base in Djibouti, neighbouring Somaliland, is also a major source of discomfort for the US. This is also reflected in US President Trump's statement that "we are working on recognising Somaliland".

Saudi-UAE clash in Yemen

Among all these reasons, the Yemen issue constitutes the closest and most pressing justification for Israel. This is because the Houthis' military pressure on Israel continues.

In Yemen, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have been at odds for some time. Both countries are allies against the Iran-backed Houthis, but they support two separate factions. On 3 December, forces of the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council seized key locations in eastern Yemen, bordering Saudi Arabia and Oman. Riyadh is uncomfortable with this situation. Saudi Arabia struck two UAE ships carrying weapons to the Southern Transitional Council on 27-28 December and demanded that the UAE withdraw its troops from Yemen.

Saudi Arabia's reaction to Israel's recognition of Somaliland on the opposite coast, but the UAE's silence, makes the issue even more important. Experienced Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt explains the developments in Somaliland and Yemen with the Israel-UAE alliance: "It is no longer a secret. An Arab country is seeking to encircle Saudi Arabia, create chaos in Sudan, and exert pressure on Egypt's southern borders by establishing special relations with Israel."

The US's efforts to establish a new order

As can be seen, there is a comprehensive power struggle along the Somalia-Yemen line and around the Horn of Africa. 

However, on a broader scale, we cannot evaluate all this independently of the US's efforts to establish a new Middle East order under Israeli hegemony. When we analyse developments in our region together, you will see a three-quarters circle stretching from the Caspian Sea to the Eastern Mediterranean, from Suez to the Gulf of Aden, and from the Sea of Oman to the Arabian-Persian Gulf. Iran occupies the remaining quarter. 

It is within and around this circle that the US is attempting to establish an order under Israeli hegemony, and this is of direct concern to our country.

Unfortunately, our country is preoccupied with extrajudicial political operations against the main opposition in order to maintain the ruling power's hold on power.

With the hope that we can raise the banner of independence, enlightenment, and the labour struggle even higher in 2026 by learning from the mistakes of 2025, I wish you a happy new year.