Somaliland Offers Gaza Troops to Leverage US and Israel Recognition

Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi announced that the self-declared republic is willing to contribute up to 2,000 soldiers to the planned International Stabilization Force for Gaza, provided that the United States or Israel formally requests the deployment. Speaking on the sidelines of the MEAD conference, President Abdullahi stated that while the territory is not volunteering unprompted, it is ready to participate if asked.

Somaliland Offers Up to 2,000 Troops for Gaza Force

The proposed U.S.-led International Stabilization Force is intended eventually to comprise about 20,000 soldiers. According to details outlined about the mission, the force’s responsibilities are set to include maintaining security, training Palestinian police, facilitating humanitarian assistance, and preventing Hamas from reestablishing its military control. Other nations have also made commitments to the initiative, with Uganda approving a contingent of some 1,200 troops, Morocco committing up to 500, and Albania, Kazakhstan, and Kosovo pledging personnel.

Somaliland maintains a standing army of about 25,000 soldiers alongside a coast guard of some 1,500 personnel. The territory has not previously contributed troops to an African Union force or engaged in similar external peacekeeping missions.

Strategic Diplomatic Recognition and Regional Fallout

The military offer forms part of a broader geopolitical strategy by Hargeisa to leverage its 850-kilometre Red Sea coastline, strategic Berbera Port, and military assets to secure formal international recognition. Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 following a 35-year struggle without widespread global recognition, though Mogadishu still considers the breakaway region part of its sovereign territory.

Diplomatic ties shifted significantly in December when Israel became the first country to formally recognize Somaliland as an independent state. President Abdullahi subsequently traveled to Jerusalem on his first official state visit, where he met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and opened Somaliland’s first formally designated embassy abroad. Somaliland previously opened a representative office similar to an embassy in Taiwan in 2020.

While Israel’s recognition significantly raised Somaliland’s international profile, no other country has yet followed suit, and the move triggered severe regional opposition. Somalia condemned the action as a violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan dismissed the recognition as illegitimate, accusing Israel of attempting to destabilize the Horn of Africa.

Security Consequences and the Cost of Recognition

Turkey, which operates a military base in Mogadishu, trains Somali troops, supplies armed drones, and explores for oil and gas off the Somali coast, responded to Israel’s diplomatic move by deploying F-16 fighter jets to Somalia. President Abdullahi acknowledged that Israel’s recognition brought concrete security consequences, warning that there is no free lunch and noting that Somaliland had created new enemies as countries began providing Somalia with sophisticated weaponry.

Somaliland Offers Gaza Troops to Leverage US and Israel Recognition — Photo: Firstpost

Addressing potential security threats, President Abdullahi noted that Somalia’s president and defense minister had publicly spoken about invading the territory. Amid heightened tensions involving Iran-backed Houthis and opposition from both Somalia and Türkiye, Somaliland continues courting U.S. lawmakers and pitching its maritime assets in exchange for security guarantees, while anticipating a possible foreign security presence in the near future.