Somaliland's Defense Minister reiterated to Reuters that there is no Israeli military presence in the territory and no talks on establishing a base, hours after an initial denial was reported Wednesday afternoon.
Somaliland's Defense Minister has denied reports of an Israeli military base in the breakaway Horn of Africa republic for the second time in less than an hour, telling Reuters on Wednesday afternoon that "there is no Israeli military presence in our territory and no talks on establishing a military base."
The denial, reported at 13:46 Jerusalem time, comes roughly 40 minutes after Asaf Rozentzweig (N12) reported a similar denial — covered by The Zioneer at 13:06. The back-to-back denials by a senior Somaliland official suggest the government is pushing back against what it considers unfounded speculation.
No Israeli official has commented on the reports, which have circulated in regional media over the past week. The origin of the base rumors — and whether any informal contacts occurred — remains unverified. Somaliland, which declared independence from Somalia in 1991, is not recognized by the UN but maintains ties with several nations including Ethiopia and the UAE.
2 developments
- StrongSomaliland FM: No red lines on Israeli military presence; expects more recognition to follow
- StrongIsraeli official denies report of 50 soldiers sent to Somaliland
- DevelopingSomaliland president says Israeli military base 'could happen,' hopes for US recognition
- DevelopingJordanian Foreign Minister Denies US Bases in Jordan, Says Forces Present Only Within Bilateral Cooperation
Source and signal
- Open-source intake