Hargeisa (SLpost)- The Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Somaliland has denied reports published by Reuters and carried by Al Arabiya English that attributed comments on Somaliland–Israel cooperation to Defense Minister Mohamed Yusuf Ali.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Ministry said the Defence Minister had not given any interview, statement, or comment to Reuters, Al Arabiya English, or any other media outlet regarding cooperation between Somaliland and Israel.
The clarification follows reports quoting the minister as saying that there was no Israeli military presence in Somaliland and that there were no discussions regarding the establishment of an Israeli military base in the country. The report also attributed remarks to the minister stating that Israel was training Somaliland’s military and police forces, while describing claims of negotiations over an Israeli military base as “rumors.”
However, the Ministry of Defence rejected the reports in their entirety, describing any statements attributed to the minister as “false, baseless, and misleading.”
“The Ministry categorically rejects these inaccuracies and urges media organizations, journalists, and the public to rely solely on official government communications and verified sources,” the statement said.
The news comes as a high-level Somaliland delegation continues an official visit to Israel led by President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi (Cirro). The delegation includes Defence Minister Mohamed Yusuf Ali, several senior cabinet ministers, and the Chief of the General Staff of the Somaliland Armed Forces. The visit, which has entered its third day, has drawn significant international attention amid growing interest in relations between Somaliland and Israel.
The Ministry further condemned what it described as the dissemination of misinformation and disinformation that could misrepresent Somaliland’s official positions or undermine public confidence in credible information.
Reaffirming its commitment to transparency and responsible communication, the Ministry said official government positions would continue to be communicated through authorized channels and encouraged the public to rely on verified government sources for accurate information.
“The Republic of Somaliland remains committed to transparency and responsible communication through its authorized official channels,” the statement concluded.
The Ministry’s announcement serves as a formal rebuttal to reports attributing comments on military and security cooperation with Israel to the Defense Minister and underscores the government’s position that official statements should be sourced directly from authorized representatives and official government communications.
SOURCE: Somalilandpost News
