Somaliland raises the Red Sea stakes

Since Israel recognised Somaliland last month, the self-declared republic on the Gulf of Aden has become central to a struggle over military access, ports and regional influence across the Red Sea corridor.

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Somaliland sits astride one of the world’s most strategic maritime choke points, flanked by multiple conflicts in the Horn of Africa and the Middle East.

It declared independence from Somalia in 1991 but had never been recognised internationally until Israel’s move.

Israel’s recognition was fiercely opposed by the Somali government as an attack on its territorial unity a position backed by most African and Arab leaders.

But Somaliland’s assets most crucially the port and airfield at Berbera, which have been developed by the United Arab Emirates since 2016 to be capable of hosting large naval and air assets - outweighed any potential concern about the diplomatic fallout.

A Somaliland official, speaking anonymously, said new buildings and an airbase facility were recently completed at Berbera by the UAE, which has a 25-year concession to build a military base.

"What is at stake right now is military access," said Roland Marchal, an expert on the region with France's National Centre for Scientific Research.