Somaliland has denied reports that it agreed to allow Palestinian Arabs from the Gaza Strip to resettle in the country or allow Israel to build a military base in its territory in return for Israeli recognition.
Somalian President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud had claimed that Israel conditioned its recognition of Somaliland's independence on its accepting Palestinian Arabs, creating an Israeli military base on the Gulf of Aden, and normalizing ties with Israel.
The Somaliland Foreign Ministry wrote an official statement that "the Government of the Republic of Somaliland firmly rejects false claims made by the President of Somalia alleging the resettlement of Palestinians or the establishment of military bases in Somaliland."
It insisted that Somaliland’s engagement with the State of Israel is "purely diplomatic, conducted in full respect of international law and the mutual sovereign interests of both countries."
The statement noted that " These baseless allegations are intended to mislead the international community and undermine Somaliland’s diplomatic progress. Somaliland remains committed to regional stability and peaceful international cooperation."