Somaliland says its recognition by Israel could be a boon for its Berbera port. But with missiles flying across the region, it could also be a target.
Berbera port on the Gulf of Aden has been transformed by the UAE firm DP World over the past decade into a state-of-the-art facility on one of the world's busiest trade routes.
Berbera still handles far fewer containers than nearby Djibouti or Mombasa, but port traffic was up 30 percent from 2023 to 2025, and recent diplomatic moves could lead to much more.
And Israel's recent decision to recognize Somaliland's independence promises a "tremendous increase," said port authority director Ali Diriye Ahmed, already envisioning an expansion of the port.
But an alliance with Israel also brings risks.
Abdel Malek al-Houthi, leader of the Iran-backed Houthi rebel group in Yemen, had already warned that any Israeli presence in Somaliland would be considered a "military target."
The UAE, which has been targeted this weekend by Iranian missiles, not only runs Berbera port but also has a nearby military base that it has recently expanded.
Experts say the UAE was a key player in Israel's recognition of Somaliland, and it is possible that Israeli forces are already present in the Berbera military base.
If their presence was confirmed at the Emirati base, it could leave the port vulnerable to Houthi or Iranian missiles.
There is also a more local threat from Al-Shabaab, the Somali affiliate of Al-Qaeda, which has said it will oppose any attempt by Israel to use Somaliland.
Somaliland authorities "only saw the recognition, without thinking about the future," fears Roland Marchal, a regional specialist based at France's Sciences Po university.
In a post on X, the Foreign Ministry said, "Any attempt to cause instability within our territory will be met with a firm response, in coordination with our allies, Israel, and Taiwan."
