No talks to establish Israeli military base in Somaliland, defence minister says

TEL AVIV - There is no Israeli military presence in Somaliland and no talks for Israel to open a base there, Somaliland's Defence Minister Mohamed Yusef Ali told Reuters on Wednesday.

Speaking on the sidelines of a business conference in Tel Aviv, he said Israel was training Somaliland's military and police, but called reports that Israel was in negotiations to establish a military base in Somaliland "rumours".

Israel recognised Somaliland as ​an independent state last December, a move Somalia ​rejected and termed a "deliberate attack" on its sovereignty.

(Reporting by Steven Scheer; Editing by Alex Richardson)

Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect.

This story was originally published June 17, 2026 at 2:56 AM.