Somalia won’t accept Israeli presence ‘under any circumstances’: President

AO VIVO Clique aqui para pesquisar Inscreva-se EXCLUSIVO Notícias | Política Somália não aceitará presença israelense 'em qualquer circunstância': Presidente Em entrevista exclusiva à Al Jazeera, o presidente Hassan Sheikh Mohamud afirma que tentativas de envolver a Somália nas crises do Oriente Médio não terão sucesso.

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Speaking in an exclusive interview, Mohamud said that Israel was planning to establish a naval base in Berbera and use the city’s airport, adding that its real aim was to get closer to the Gulf states and Iran.

Berbera is a port city on the Gulf of Aden coast in Somaliland – the self-declared republic in northwestern Somalia that Israel recognised last year, but which is claimed by Mogadishu.

Berbera faces Yemen across the water near the strategic Bab al-Mandeb strait. The Iran-aligned Houthis have previously enforced a blockade on Israel-linked ships in the area.

He added that the Israeli plans fall under the “Greater Israel” project – referring to a term for various proposals, often rooted in biblical interpretations, for Israeli control over territory beyond its current borders.

Algumas versões se estendem do Nilo ao Eufrates.

Israel has not adopted it as official policy, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an August 2025 interview that he felt connected to the vision, prompting condemnation from Arab governments.

O presidente somali descreveu Israel como uma “força desestabilizadora” que não cumpre a lei internacional.

He also criticised Tel Aviv’s recognition of Somaliland in December.

Nenhum país além de Israel reconhece Somaliland, enquanto os próprios residentes da região são completamente contra a presença israelense, disse Mohamud.

Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 and has governed itself independently for more than three decades. But it had not secured recognition from any United Nations member state until Israel’s move.

The Somali president told Al Jazeera the United States remains his country’s strongest partner in the fight against “terrorism”, and added that al-Shabab has no presence in the major cities, leaving no possibility of the group taking control in Somalia.

Al-Shabab é um grupo armado somali que surgiu da União dos Tribunais Islâmicos no meio dos anos 2000 e jurou lealdade à Al-Qaeda em 2012. Ele tem lutado contra o governo federal da Somália há anos, controla território em partes do sul e centro da Somália, e tem realizado ataques mortais, incluindo em Mogadiscio e no vizinho Quênia.

Regarding the East Africa region, Mohamud said Somalia’s relations with neighbouring Ethiopia are good, and Mogadishu does not object to Addis Ababa gaining access to the sea through a joint agreement to use Somali ports for its economic interests.

A Etiópia tem estado sem acesso ao mar desde que a Eritreia se tornou independente em 1993 e depende em grande parte dos portos de Djibuti para o comércio. Em janeiro de 2024, Addis Ababa assinou um memorando de entendimento com Somaliland sobre acesso marítimo, que a Somália condenou como violação de sua soberania.

Somalia and Ethiopia later agreed to ease tensions.

Mohamud also accused Yemen’s Houthis of “destabilising” the region and disrupting navigation in the Bab al-Mandeb strait.

His comments come as the group attempts to build on its lightning offensive that captured the country’s Red Sea coast last month.

Thus far, Yemeni government forces have been able to hold their positions on the front lines and even claimed to have inflicted heavy losses against the Houthis.

The Houthis have also intensified their attacks on Saudi Arabia, but the kingdom’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) has promised not to compromise on its security, saying the Yemeni rebels chose “chaos and destruction, threatening the Yemeni people and the region”.

A entrevista completa com o Presidente Mohamud será transmitida pela Al Jazeera Arabic no domingo.

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