Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud warned on Wednesday of the occupying state’s efforts to forcibly resettle Palestinians in Somalia, alongside seeking access to the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, Sheikh Mohamud stated that “Somaliland has been claiming secession for a long time, for three decades, and no country in the world has recognised it.”
The Somali president confirmed that, according to intelligence information, “Somaliland accepted three Israeli conditions in exchange for recognition: resettling Palestinians, establishing an Israeli military base on the coast of the Gulf of Aden, and Somaliland joining the Abraham Accords.”
He added that “Israel has no peaceful intentions in coming to Somalia. This is an extremely dangerous step, and the entire world, especially Arabs and Muslims, must view it as a serious threat.”
The Somali president also spoke of “intelligence reports indicating that there has been a degree of Israeli presence in Somaliland, and what is happening now is that what was secret is becoming formal, unless the whole world supports Somalia.”
He added, “We were trying to reunify the country peacefully, and for this reason, after 34 years, it was extremely unexpected and very strange for Israel to suddenly jump in and recognise Somaliland.”
Sheikh Mohamud also denied that the occupying state rushed into this step due to cooperation agreements, particularly in the energy sector, between Somalia and Turkey, which he is currently visiting.
He clarified that “Israel previously had no relations with Somalia and was never a prominent actor in the region.”
In response to a question on whether he feared that Israeli recognition could spark further problems in Somalia, a federal state, he replied, “Indeed. Somalia has been in a unique position over the past two years, and it is time to emerge from the quagmire it has been in for a long time.”
He continued, “We can say that the Israeli decision specifically targeted the progress that has been achieved and aimed to undermine the stability we have experienced for nearly two years.”
Sheikh Mohamud stressed that “for this reason, the international community, especially the Arab world and African countries, must realise that Israel is exporting its problem in Gaza with Palestine to us.”
He further stated that “Israel is trying to reach the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, threatening Somalia and all maritime and commercial waterways.”
On 8 October 2023, Israel, with American support, launched a genocidal war on Gaza, resulting in more than 71,000 Palestinians killed and 171,000 wounded, most of them children and women, in addition to massive destruction.
Recently, discussion has intensified regarding Israeli moves in preparation for displacing Palestinians outside the Gaza Strip, where around 2.4 million people have been living under siege for more than 18 years.
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