MBABANE: Somalian President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has slammed Israel’s “interference” in his country, saying its recognition of the breakaway region of Somaliland has further increased instability and weakened international order.
In an exclusive interview with Aljazeera broadcast on Saturday, Mohamud said Somalia “will never allow” the establishment of an Israeli base in Somaliland and will “confront” any such move.
It has been reported that, that, the Somalian President warned that the proposed Israeli base could be used as a springboard to attack neighbouring countries.
“Mohamud’s comments came amid a regional outcry over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision in December to recognise Somaliland, a breakaway part of Somalia comprising the northwestern portion of what was once the British Protectorate.
The territory sits astride one of the world’s most critical maritime choke routes, flanked by multiple conflicts in the Horn of Africa and the Middle East,” reads the Aljazeera report in part.
Somalian President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud blasts Israel for recognizing Somaliland as an independent State, warns against construction of a military base to be used to attack other African countries (pic: Aljazeera video).