On Monday, Somaliland’s Foreign Minister, Mr. Abdirahman Dahir Adan, rejected the statement made by Somali President, Mr. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, in a recent interview with Al-Jazeera TV. The President claimed that Somaliland had agreed with Israel to relocate Palestinians to Somaliland. However, in an interview with BBC Somalia, the FM denied this statement and emphasized that both Somaliland and Israel have separately rejected this notion on multiple occasions. He stated, “The President spoke his mind, but I am not surprised. It is clear that he strongly opposes Somaliland’s recognition by Israel, which has led to his hateful remarks. However, it is important to note that neither Israel nor Somaliland have discussed this issue.” The FM also challenged the Somali President to provide evidence of any discussions between Israel and Somaliland regarding the Palestinian issue. He also mentioned that the Somali President has attempted to initiate ties with Israel in the past, but has been unsuccessful. The FM also refuted the accusations made by the Somali President that Israel and Somaliland have agreed to set up a military base on the Gulf of Aden. He stated that the Somali President is not aware of any bilateral agreement between Israel and Somaliland and is simply trying to find faults. When asked about the possibility of Israel setting up a military base in Somaliland, the FM remained tight-lipped but mentioned that both sides are working towards their mutual interests. He did not provide any details about the military base and whether it is part of the agreement between the two countries. The Somali President, Mr. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, also claimed that Israel and Somaliland have agreed to relocate Palestinians to Somaliland. However, Israeli FM, Mr. Gideon Sa’ar, has stated that the Palestinian issue was not part of the deal with Somaliland. Reports about Palestinian refugees being rehabilitated in Somaliland have been circulating on social media after Reuters and AP reported that the US and Israel are pushing to implement a plan to relocate Palestinians to Sudan and Somaliland.
