Somalia threatens Bab el-Mandeb action after Israel appoints envoy to Somaliland
MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) Somalia’s government on Friday said it could extend its response to Israel’s recent recognition of Somaliland and appointment of an ambassador to the breakaway region as far as restricting access to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, in comments that drew attention given Mogadishu’s longstanding reliance on Western support. “Any Country interfering in Somalia’s internal […]
Black News 
MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) Somalia’s government on Friday said it could extend its response to Israel’s recent recognition of Somaliland and appointment of an ambassador to the breakaway region as far as restricting access to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, in comments that drew attention given Mogadishu’s longstanding reliance on Western support.
“Any Country interfering in Somalia’s internal affairs and compromising its territorial integrity and sovereignty will face repercussions, including potential restrictions on access to the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait,” Somali ambassador to Ethiopia and the African Union Abdullahi Warfa said.
The comments followed Israel’s move to begin implementing its agreement with Somaliland to exchange ambassadors, after Tel Aviv became the first country last year to recognise the breakaway region.
Analysts said the statement carries significant risks for Somalia, at a time when Western powers are particularly sensitive to disruptions in key global shipping routes following closure of the the Strait of Hormuz.
“From a purely international maritime law perspective, threatening a blockade of a sea lane that is not ‘sovereign’ property of one state could be interpreted as an act or declaration of war,” prominent Horn of Africa analyst Rashid Abdi said.
Abdi said of the options Somalia could consider against Israel, the threat was least likely to win sympathy or international backing, given developments in the Strait of Hormuz and pressure on the global economy.
Somalia lacks the capacity to enforce such a blockade, with no functional navy, no air force capable of expeditionary operations, and no stockpiles of ballistic missiles, though analysts said the rhetoric still carries diplomatic consequences.
“This specific rhetoric is an own goal: seeking to ‘punish’ Israel by blocking the Red Sea risks aligning Somalia with the Houthis, aggravating brittle ties with US,” he added.
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