Somali sovereignty fears grow as Israel eyes foothold in Horn of Africa

MOGADISHU - Somalia’s defense minister said on Sunday that the government has "confirmed information" regarding an Israeli plan to forcibly relocate Palestinians from Gaza to Somali territory, vowing that Mogadishu would not permit such a move.

Defense Minister Ahmed Mohamed Fiqi told Al Jazeera Mubasher that the federal government "will not stand idly by" if its sovereignty is compromised. He described the alleged plan as a direct threat to the nation's territorial integrity and characterized Israel’s recognition of the breakaway region of Somaliland as a "serious violation."

The minister’s remarks underscore a deepening diplomatic crisis in the Horn of Africa. Since Somaliland declared unilateral independence in 1991, Mogadishu has maintained that the region remains an integral part of Somalia. The federal government now views Israel’s recent diplomatic pivot toward Hargeisa as part of a broader scheme to facilitate population transfers and establish a strategic foothold on the Gulf of Aden.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and other top officials have previously condemned the move, arguing it is linked to regional displacement schemes. The administration is currently rallying diplomatic support from African and Arab partners to defend Somalia’s territorial integrity, with many regional neighbors expressing concern that the recognition of a separatist entity could destabilize the Red Sea corridor.

While Israeli officials have not publicly confirmed a proposal to relocate Palestinians to Somalia, the claims have already triggered a sharp backlash from the African Union and the Arab League, both of which have reaffirmed their support for Somalia’s 1960 borders.

GAROWE ONLINE