A-Infos (en) France, OCL CA #359 - SOMALI... LAND - "Do people even know what Somaliland is?" D. Trump (ca, de, fr, it, pt, tr)[machine translation]

Well... Yes, after all! ---- One might wonder if the American president 
himself knows where to locate this piece of territory that no one ever 
hears about. Indeed, no civil war like in Yemen, its neighbor on the 
other side of the river, no massacre like in Sudan, nor genocide like in 
Palestine. In short, no media "headline." Nothing! Nowhere! The news is 
full of more important events: the repression in Iran, the kidnapping of 
dictator and president Maduro, D. Trump's ambitions for Greenland, or 
the hunt for migrants by his militia in Minneapolis... And for us 
Europeans, Ukraine from time to time.

This Western newswhere not all deaths are valued equallyobscures the 
genocide of Palestinians in Gaza: 71,000 deaths recorded since October 
7, 2023, and downplays the atrocities committed by settlers who, with 
the complicity of the army, have killed more than 1,000 Palestinians in 
the West Bank since the "peace agreement."

It is therefore with overflowing empathy for the Palestinians of Gaza 
that D. Trump and his crony B. Netanyahu are reportedly considering 
deporting the Palestinian "survivors" of the genocide to "Somaliland."

"Riviera" and Deportations
Somaliland is a 175,000 km² desert in northwestern Somalia, bordered by 
Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Kenya. This territory, attached to Somalia, 
formerly a British colony, seceded and declared its independence in 
1991, following the fall of Somali dictator Siad Barre at the end of a 
civil war that began in the 1980s. A self-proclaimed republic, it has 
its own police force, currency, and army, but to this day is not 
recognized by any capital or international body[1].

For the businessman installed in the White House and a contender for the 
Nobel Peace Prize: "No problem." On the ruins of Gaza, he is building a 
"Riviera." And for the survivors of the Zionist genocide, he is 
organizing their deportation to... Somaliland, which in exchange would 
obtain the long-sought international recognition of "sovereignty." This 
"Pax Americana" would reinforce Western dominance in the Middle East and 
Africa, against Russian threats and growing Chinese influence, while 
simultaneously "riding" Israel of the Palestinians.

Each to their own pawns
For many years, China and Russia have strengthened their presence in 
Africa and the Middle East. China through diplomacy, infrastructure and 
economic aid, etc. Russia, with its withdrawal from Syria, maintains 
state and private security and military partnerships. Rivals or 
complementary, these two imperialisms assert themselves as alternatives 
to Western colonial domination, but cannot yet fully establish 
themselves in the "security" sphere. Their presence in the unstable 
regions of the Horn of Africa is a volatile flashpoint. On the East 
African coast, each keeps a close eye on the others, but above all, on 
their own interests. On this maritime route, which, via the Suez Canal 
and the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, leads from the Mediterranean to the Indian 
Ocean and on to Asia, passes 40% of global maritime traffic: oil 
tankers, gas carriers, container ships, etc. Hence the interest in this 
region, a constituent part of Somalia, which, due to its geographical 
position on the shores of the Red Sea facing Yemen, is a strategic point 
coveted by imperialist powers as much as Djibouti (see box).

Israel: A First...
"Unlike Palestine, Somaliland is not a virtual state," commented the 
Israeli Foreign Minister. To date, the "sovereignty" of the State of 
Somaliland has always been met with a refusal of recognition from 
countries or international bodies in the name of the inviolability of 
borders. It is in this hostile context that Israel, for its political 
needs, has decided to be the first state to recognize this territory on 
December 26, 2025. Tel Aviv thus hopes to broaden its "acceptance" by 
other countries and increase its military hegemony in the region. An 
opportunistic strategy that has received the tacit approval of D. Trump.

Israel's Worrying Hegemony
From Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland, its leaders, eager for 
international recognition, have opted for alignment with American 
imperialism, through the acceptance of relations with Taiwan since July 
2020, and by proposing the establishment of military bases and mining 
concessions.

Even if D. Trump considers Somalia "a country that doesn't even exist... 
or... the most corrupt country on earth," the U.S.A. remains active in 
Mogadishu, the capital, through various forms of aid and, above all, 
security raids against the "Shabaab" jihadist clans linked to Al-Qaeda, 
which occupy the southern regions and the areas surrounding the Somali 
capital.

But in Somaliland, Israel has found a powerful ally: the United Arab 
Emirates (UAE), officially linked to the Zionist state by the Abraham 
Accords[2], which have been established for about ten years, notably 
through the management of the port of Barbera. This is not necessarily 
to the liking of Saudi Arabia, the other regional power that shares a 
border with Yemen, located on the other side of the Red Sea. In 2015, a 
coalition, led by Saudi Arabia but also including the United Arab 
Emirates, bombed Yemen to counter Iranian influence and stop the Houthi 
separatist ambitions. These two belligerents are favored by France for 
their arms purchases. In the quagmire of the intervention, which has 
lasted for ten years, these two countries each have opposing visions, 
even ambitions, regarding their policy of influence in this regional 
area. In short, in this fragmented civil war (377,000 deaths according 
to the UN), their differences lead Saudi Arabia to support the 
internationally backed federal government, while the United Arab 
Emirates defends the secessionists of the STC (Southern Transitional 
Council). Washington is closely monitoring the conflict, calling for 
restraint from its two close partners.

Even though the plan to deport Palestinian survivors to Somaliland no 
longer seems to be an immediate priority, the recognition of this state 
allows Israel to gain a foothold in the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and to 
reserve the right to intervene in the Red Sea. This strategic support 
protects its ships and economic interests, threatened from the other 
side of the strait by the Houthis, who are supported and armed by Iran. 
The Houthis, who claim solidarity with Hamas and the Palestinian people, 
bombard Israel and raid its ships. This Israeli ambition is causing 
growing concern in Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia... in countries committed 
to the inviolability of borders that fear this Israeli military 
hegemony. However, one last obstacle to the regional supremacy of the 
Zionist state remains: Iran and its mullahs...

With a foothold in Somalia and another in Somaliland, Washington, via 
Tel Aviv, is able to strengthen its presence in the Horn of Africa and 
better counter China in this highly coveted strait. China has 
long-standing relations with East African states and has been very 
active since 2014[3]with an embassy in Mogadishu, defending Somalia's 
territorial integrity.

Sorel, February 10, 2025

The case of Djibouti
A small state in the Horn of Africa, covering 23,000 km². It borders 
Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somaliland (unrecognized), and Yemen across the 
Strait of Gibraltar. This highly contested territory occupies a 
strategic position at the entrance to the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, which 
connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Indian Ocean via the Suez Canal 
and the Red Sea. Several countries maintain military bases there.
France, the former colonial power (since 1896), remained after the 
independence agreement in 1977 and maintains a military presence of 
1,400 troops. The United States has over 3,000 troops at Camp Lemonnier, 
the center of US operations toward the Middle East and Africa.

China has had a presence there since 2017. It is its first overseas base 
with a deep-water port capable of accommodating destroyers and aircraft 
carriers. Italy and Turkey also have a presence, but to a lesser extent.

Each party, jointly or individually, seeks, according to its military or 
economic interests, to protect maritime traffic (40% of global traffic) 
but also from piracy and attacks by Yemenis or Somalis.

Notes
[1]United Nations, Organization of African Unity, Arab League, European 
Union; Gulf Cooperation Council...

[2]These are agreements that officially bind states in bilateral 
exchange relations. See C.A. No. 356 "Western Sahara: A Forgotten Conflict"

[3]Humanitarian aid, cultural exchanges, oil, infrastructure 
development, etc.

http://oclibertaire.lautre.net/spip.php?article4677
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