Somalia's president rejects any Israeli presence and says Mogadishu does not object to Ethiopian sea access through Somali territory
In an interview with Al Jazeera, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said Israel was planning a naval base at Berbera and accused the Houthis of destabilising the region and disrupting navigation at Bab al-Mandab.
Somaliland's Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected the Somali president's statements on Israel and Berbera, saying its relations with Israel are the sovereign decisions of the two countries and that claims Berbera would serve as a platform for aggression against other countries are unfounded. The ministry said Somaliland has supported negotiated arrangements for Ethiopia to obtain sea access, and accused Mogadishu of contradicting its own position by opposing the January 2024 memorandum of understanding with Ethiopia. Horn Diplomat reported the statement.
Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud told Al Jazeera that Ethiopia can have access to a Somali port but must come to Mogadishu to negotiate it officially, saying Addis Ababa has not yet done so and that relations between the two countries are "in good shape".
In an interview with Al Jazeera published on Sunday, Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said the Houthis are "not in a position" to bring peace to Yemen, and accused them of destabilising the region and disrupting navigation through the Bab al-Mandab strait.
In an interview with Al Jazeera published on Saturday, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said Somalia would not accept an Israeli presence "under any circumstances" and that Israel was planning a naval base in Berbera. He said relations with Ethiopia were good and that Mogadishu does not object to Ethiopia gaining sea access through Somali territory. Al Jazeera said the full interview airs on Al Jazeera Arabic on Sunday.
Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said his country would not accept an Israeli presence "under any circumstances", in an interview with Al Jazeera published on Saturday. He said Israel was planning to establish a naval base in Berbera and to use the city's airport, and said no country other than Israel recognises Somaliland. Mohamud accused Yemen's Houthis of destabilising the region and disrupting navigation in the Bab al-Mandab strait. He said Somalia's relations with Ethiopia were good and that Mogadishu does not object to Addis Ababa gaining access to the sea through Somali territory. Al Jazeera said the full interview will be broadcast on Al Jazeera Arabic on Sunday.