TEL AVIV – Israel’s navy could deploy German-built Dolphin-class submarines to Somaliland’s coast as part of plans linked to a reported military facility near the port of Berbera, according to a defence publication.
The report by Defence-Network said a recently signed security cooperation agreement between Israel and the self-declared republic would pave the way for Israeli naval forces to use Somaliland’s coastline, enabling them to monitor activities by Yemen’s Huthi rebels and expand their presence in the Red Sea.
Berbera port, where the United Arab Emirates has major investments and operational control over port facilities, would provide Israel with a strategic foothold in the Horn of Africa, the report said, potentially intensifying regional competition with Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
Neither Israel nor Somaliland authorities have publicly confirmed the reported plans. Somalia’s federal government, which considers Somaliland part of its territory, has previously opposed any foreign agreements concluded by the breakaway region without Mogadishu’s approval.
The reported move comes amid heightened geopolitical rivalry in the Red Sea and Horn of Africa, where global and regional powers have sought to secure strategic maritime routes and expand their influence.
