Saturday December 13, 2025
Mogadishu (HOL) - Somali government has strongly denied having any ties or diplomatic contacts with Israel, dismissing recent claims by Israeli officials that the two sides maintain communications.
Somalia’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ali Mohamed Omar (Ali Balcad), told the media on Thursday that there is no truth to statements made by Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister suggesting links between Israel and Somalia.
His remarks came after Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel said on Wednesday that Israel has had “certain communication” with the Somali government. In a wide-ranging interview with i24NEWS, Haskel suggested that the alleged dialogue was related to shared concerns over Houthi influence in the Horn of Africa.
“I think that the situation there is very dangerous, and I think it will affect the rest of the world,” Haskel said, citing potential impacts on maritime routes, fisheries, and global trade passing through the region.
Israel and Somalia do not have diplomatic relations. Somalia is a Muslim country and a member of the Arab League.
Earlier this year, a United Nations report noted what it described as a “developing relationship” between Yemen’s Houthi movement and the Islamist group Al-Shabaab across the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, raising regional and international security concerns.
Somalia has consistently maintained that it has never had diplomatic relations with Israel and has repeatedly reaffirmed its unwavering support for the Palestinian cause.