A major military construction project is reportedly under way at Berbera Airport in Somaliland, with the facility being converted into a strategic military hub serving the interests of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Israel and the United States, according to an investigation by the French newspaper Le Monde.
Wararka Soomaaliya
The report, published on the basis of satellite imagery captured between October 2025 and March 2026, said at least 18 large excavations had been dug south of the airport’s runway.
Citing European Union security sources, Le Monde reported that the excavations are intended to house underground weapons and fuel storage facilities designed to withstand potential air strikes by Yemen’s Houthi movement. The newspaper added that fortified military positions and air defence missile sites are also under construction.
According to the investigation, the project is being implemented by the UAE under a defence agreement signed with Somaliland in 2017. However, the report said the expanded military infrastructure is expected to support broader strategic objectives of the United States and Israel in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
Faahfaahinta
The newspaper also reported that Somaliland intelligence officials had made undisclosed visits to Tel Aviv for training, while Israeli intelligence personnel had been seen in Berbera. It said these claims were consistent with an earlier report by Africa Intelligence, which alleged that Israeli security officials had spent several months in Somaliland before Israel formally recognised the territory in December 2025.
Israel’s recognition of Somaliland prompted strong criticism from Somalia’s federal government, the African Union, the Arab League and several regional powers, including Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, all of which reaffirmed their support for Somalia’s territorial integrity.
Although Somaliland authorities have repeatedly denied plans to host an Israeli military base, Le Monde noted that a senior minister in the presidency recently indicated that no defence cooperation options had been ruled out, suggesting the government remained open to expanding security partnerships.
Saamaynta
Berbera occupies a strategically important position on the Gulf of Aden, opposite Yemen, overlooking one of the world’s busiest maritime routes linking the Red Sea with the Indian Ocean through the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
The airport is home to one of the longest runways in the Horn of Africa, enabling it to accommodate large military aircraft. According to the report, its location would provide an advantageous platform for monitoring maritime traffic and developments in Yemen, while potentially serving as a logistics and staging base for military operations in the region.
Neither the United Arab Emirates, Israel nor the United States had publicly responded to the allegations in Le Monde at the time of publication. The claims have not been independently verified.
Wararka.so waxay kuu soo tebineysaa wararka ugu dambeeyey ee Soomaaliya iyo caalamka. Si aad ula socoto wararkii ugu dambeeyey, booqo boggayaga.
