According to reports, many of the soldiers involved are Ethiopian Jews, some of whom have linguistic or cultural familiarity with the Horn of Africa.
By Hezy Laing
Reports circulating in regional media claim that dozens of Israeli soldiers have been quietly deployed to Somaliland, the autonomous region in northern Somalia that declared independence in 1991.
According to these reports, many of the soldiers involved are Ethiopian Jews, some of whom have linguistic or cultural familiarity with the Horn of Africa.
The claims first appeared in outlets such as the Addis Standard, the Somali Guardian, and several Arabic‑language channels, though none have been officially confirmed by the IDF or the Somaliland government.
Somaliland, with a population of roughly 5.7 million, maintains a separate government in Hargeisa, operates its own security forces, and has long pursued closer ties with Western and Middle Eastern states.
Israel has historically maintained discreet contacts in the region dating back to the 1960s, when the Mossad cultivated relationships along the Red Sea to counter Egyptian influence.
The new reports suggest that Israeli personnel may be assisting with border security, counterterrorism training, or maritime monitoring in the Gulf of Aden, an area threatened by al‑Shabaab, ISIS‑Somalia, and piracy networks.
Speculation about the purpose of the deployment centers on three main possibilities.
One is that Israel is helping Somaliland strengthen defenses against al‑Shabaab, which carried out more than 1,000 attacks across Somalia between 2020 and 2025.
Another is that Israel seeks to expand intelligence collection along the Bab el‑Mandeb, a strategic chokepoint where Iranian‑backed groups, including the Houthi movement, have targeted shipping.
A third theory is that Israel is exploring deeper diplomatic ties with Somaliland, which has expressed interest in formal recognition from U.S.‑aligned states.
Analysts note that the presence of Ethiopian‑Israeli soldiers could reflect their familiarity with Amharic, Tigrinya, or regional cultural dynamics, though this remains unverified.
The sources for these claims vary in reliability.
Some reports rely on unnamed Somaliland security officials, while others cite satellite imagery analysts who claim to have observed Israeli‑made equipment near Berbera Port, a facility upgraded in 2021 by DP World of the United Arab Emirates.
Without official confirmation, the information remains speculative, but the pattern fits broader Israeli efforts to expand partnerships across the Red Sea and Horn of Africa.
