Hargeisa (SLpost)- Somaliland is seeking to strengthen its role in the emerging security architecture of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, arguing that its strategic coastline, Berbera port and relative stability make it a potentially important partner in protecting one of the world’s most vital maritime corridors.
The growing attention comes as security concerns across the Red Sea have intensified, with conflict in Yemen, attacks on commercial shipping and wider geopolitical competition drawing regional and international powers towards the Horn of Africa.
In an exclusive interview with The Economist, Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdilahe said his country is willing to help secure the Red Sea, citing Somaliland’s strategic position along the Gulf of Aden and its proximity to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait—a critical maritime gateway connecting the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean.
Somaliland’s importance has increasingly been viewed through the lens of geography. This Horn of African country controls a substantial stretch of coastline along the Gulf of Aden, while Berbera provides a deep-water port and an airport with infrastructure that could support commercial, logistical and security operations.
The development of Berbera has also strengthened Somaliland’s strategic profile. DP World has invested heavily in the port and associated infrastructure, while the Berbera corridor is intended to expand commercial links between the coast and Ethiopia, one of Africa’s largest landlocked economies.
The wider Red Sea region, however, has become increasingly crowded with competing geopolitical interests. European, American, Gulf, Turkish, Egyptian and other regional actors have all sought to protect maritime trade, counter piracy and smuggling, or expand their strategic influence around the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea.
For Somaliland, participation in maritime security could offer an opportunity to demonstrate that it can contribute to international security beyond its own borders.
The argument is particularly significant because Somaliland’s coastline lies opposite Yemen and within reach of the wider Bab el-Mandeb maritime zone. The waterway is a critical route for international trade, connecting the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden to the Red Sea and, ultimately, the Suez Canal.
Security analysts have increasingly argued that any long-term architecture designed to protect the Gulf of Aden and southern approaches to the Red Sea will have to take into account Somaliland’s geographical position and the facilities available at Berbera.
Somaliland’s strategic role has gained further attention following Israel’s formal recognition of Somaliland in December 2025, a development that has added a new diplomatic and security dimension to the Horn of Africa. Israel’s move was widely interpreted as reflecting, in part, the growing strategic importance of the Red Sea and concerns over maritime security.
The issue remains politically sensitive. Regional powers have taken different positions on Somaliland’s diplomatic status, while competition between states with interests in Somalia, the Gulf and the Red Sea has increasingly intersected with broader security questions.
Analysts note that Somaliland will face the challenge of balancing partnerships with different international actors while avoiding becoming an arena for rivalry between competing regional blocs.
A sustainable role in Red Sea security, the Somaliland president says, could instead focus on areas where its geography and infrastructure provide practical advantages, including maritime surveillance, coastguard cooperation, counter-smuggling operations, search and rescue, port security and logistical support.
Berbera could be particularly important in this equation. Located on the Gulf of Aden, the port offers an alternative logistical platform at a time when governments and international partners are reassessing the security of maritime routes passing through the region.
The central question is whether Somaliland’s practical contribution to regional security can translate into a larger diplomatic role.
For decades, Somaliland has sought international recognition while building its own institutions, security forces and administrative structures. International partners and its leaders believe that the country’s ability to provide stability along a strategically important coastline strengthens the case for its inclusion in regional and international security discussions.
As instability in the Red Sea continues to affect global shipping and intensify geopolitical competition around the Horn of Africa, Somaliland is increasingly presenting itself not simply as an observer of these developments, but as a potential contributor to efforts aimed at securing one of the world’s most strategically important waterways.
Reporting by Somalilandpost News
