Le Monde Reports UAE Building Secret Military Base in Berbera for U.S. and Israel

BERBERA – The French newspaper Le Monde has reported that the United Arab Emirates is discreetly building a military base at Berbera Airport in Somaliland, a project it says is intended to serve the interests of the UAE, the United States, and Israel. The report, published on July 6, 2026, is based on satellite imagery analysis and sources familiar with the matter.

According to Le Monde, satellite images show extensive construction and excavation at the airport between October 2025 and March 2026, including at least 18 deep holes dug into the sandy soil at three separate locations. The newspaper quoted European security sources who said the underground structures appear to be storage facilities for ammunition, weapons, or fuel tanks. Containers were reportedly placed in the holes before being covered with earth, suggesting the creation of concealed bunkers.

The project is being carried out by the UAE under a defence agreement signed with Somaliland in 2017, but the work is ultimately intended to support U.S. and Israeli interests, according to sources cited by Le Monde. UAE personnel have reportedly been seen at the site, and the construction is being kept secret from the public.

Satellite imagery previously revealed the construction of a military base in Berbera, with features including aircraft hangars, camouflaged bunkers, troop shelters, and command-and-control facilities. The base’s progress highlighted the intensifying geopolitical and security dynamics in the Horn of Africa.

Air Defence Systems and Israeli Involvement

The International Institute for Strategic Studies analysed the satellite images and suggested the structures could be part of an air defence system. The patterns are reportedly similar to those seen at the UAE’s military facility in Bosaso, Puntland, where an Israeli-made EL/M-2084 radar was delivered in March 2025. This suggests a deepening security relationship between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv in the region.

Le Monde also reported that Israeli military delegations have visited Hargeisa and Berbera, and that Somaliland intelligence officers have secretly travelled to Tel Aviv for training. This aligns with Israel’s acknowledgment that it has worked discreetly with Somaliland for years on activities that will remain confidential, and its determination to raise security cooperation to new levels.

Denials and Regional Reactions

Somaliland officials have publicly denied the existence of an Israeli military base. President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi (Irro) and Defence Minister Mohamed Yusuf Ali have both rejected claims that Israel is establishing military bases or intelligence facilities in the region, while confirming that security cooperation is expanding. Defence Minister Ali told Reuters, “There is no Israeli military presence in Somaliland, and reports about a military base are rumors and unfounded information.”

However, the secrecy surrounding the project and its suspected ties to Israel have drawn sharp reactions. Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh has warned that the establishment of an Israeli military base in Berbera would directly threaten stability throughout the Horn of Africa. Guelleh accused the UAE of acting as Israel’s primary “gateway” to the region and driving strategic realignments that risk escalating existing conflicts. The Houthi leadership in Yemen has also threatened to target any Israeli presence in Somaliland.

Domestic Opposition Within Somaliland

The reported military construction has also sparked opposition within Somaliland. Sultan Ahmed Qabile, a traditional leader, publicly rejected the use of Berbera Airport as a foreign military base, warning that it could draw the region into conflicts beyond its interests. “I oppose the use of Berbera Airport as a military base for foreign countries, which could drag Somaliland into conflicts and disputes beyond our interests,” he wrote on Facebook.

Strategic Context and Way Forward

The Le Monde report comes amid deepening ties between Somaliland and Israel, including Israel’s recognition of Somaliland in December 2025, the opening of a Somaliland embassy in Jerusalem, and the appointment of ambassadors. A CNN investigation revealed that Somaliland provided Israel with a covert military position during the recent war with Iran, allowing Israeli aircraft a potential stopping point on long-range flights. The UAE maintains an expansive commercial and military presence in Berbera, including the port developed by DP World.

Somaliland has previously offered the United States access to military bases in exchange for recognition, and its leadership has indicated it could not rule out allowing Israel to establish a military presence as well. However, no official confirmation of an Israeli or UAE base has been provided by Somaliland, the UAE, the United States, or Israel.

The reported construction at Berbera underscores the growing geopolitical competition in the Horn of Africa, where external actors including the UAE, Turkey, China, and Israel are expanding their military and commercial footprints. For Somalia’s federal government, which considers Somaliland part of its territory, the deepening ties between Hargeisa and Tel Aviv represent a direct challenge to its sovereignty and a potential source of instability that could draw the region into conflicts not of its own making.