A new report from Germany says Israel is seeking a naval and military presence in the Somaliland port of Berbera, a move that could give the Israeli navy a strategic access to the Gulf of Aden and the coast of Yemen.
Defense Network reported that the new relationship between Israel and the Somaliland northern Somalia administration could allow the Israeli navy to use Berbera, particularly for operations involving its German-built Dolphin submarines.
Read: Israel establishes intelligence base in Somaliland northern Somalia
The report, citing foreign sources, said Israel is actively seeking to establish a naval and military presence in the port of Berbera. However, it added that there was no official confirmation that the Dolphin submarines would be permanently stationed in Berbera or that they would operate from the port on a permanent basis.
The development comes days after Somaliland officials confirmed that Israel is training some of the region’s police and military forces, but denied that there were any talks about an Israeli military base in Somaliland northern Somalia.
“There is no Israeli military presence in Somaliland northern Somalia, and there are no Israeli military bases,” Somaliland’s Defense Minister, Mohamed Yusuf Ali, told Reuters during a visit to Israel led by Somaliland’s President, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro.
Read: Israel establishes intelligence base in Somaliland northern Somalia
“But Israel is helping Somaliland it is supporting us in training some of the police and military,” he added.
The Israeli government has yet to officially comment on the Berbera report. Defense Network said Israeli sources declined to comment on the reports in foreign media, but noted the importance of the Berbera location, which is directly opposite Yemen.
The port of Berbera is located on the Gulf of Aden northern Somalia, near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, one of the world’s busiest waterways. The waterway connects the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, and is vital to trade and naval operations for many countries.
Berbera’s importance has grown since Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis began attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, as well as rockets and drones targeting Israel since the start of the Gaza war.
Relations between Israel and Somaliland have rapidly deteriorated in recent months, after Israel announced in December that it recognized Somaliland northern Somalia state, a move that the Somalia government strongly opposed.
Mogadishu says Somaliland is part of the territory of the Federal Republic of Somalia, and has called Israel’s move a “deliberate attack” on Somalia’s sovereignty and unity.
During the Somaliland delegation’s visit to Israel, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that Israel and Somaliland have had a secret partnership for years.
“For many years, we have been working together in secret on a series of operations that will remain secret,” Katz said, according to a statement from his office.
“Now we want to take our security cooperation to new levels, for the benefit of both sides and the stability of the region,” he added.
Somaliland’s President, Abdirahman Irro, has for his part called for significant investment from Israel in agriculture, livestock, water management, renewable energy, health and cybersecurity.
“Somaliland is open for business, and it is ready for investment from Israel,” he said at an event in Tel Aviv.
Berbera is one of the most important economic assets on which the Somaliland administration relies. Dubai-based DP World has invested heavily in expanding the port, while Hargeisa offers a trade route to Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa as a whole.
The Defense Network report also focused on Israel’s Dolphin submarines, which are described as some of the most sensitive weapons in the Israeli military’s arsenal.
The submarines, built in Germany, are among the most advanced submarines capable of remaining submerged for extended periods of time. Later Dolphin models are equipped with a system that allows them to operate underwater for extended periods of time without having to surface quickly.
Israel does not officially discuss the full military capabilities of its submarines, but foreign military analysts have long said that the Dolphin submarines are capable of.