Somaliland president eyes Djibouti model, offers Berbera for foreign military bases

Friday August 21, 2026

Nairobi (HOL) — Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro has suggested that Somaliland could follow a model similar to Djibouti by using its strategic coastline to attract foreign military bases and developing the port of Berbera as a major gateway for trade in the Horn of Africa.

Speaking to The Economist during a visit to Nairobi this month, Irro said Somaliland could help secure the strategic Red Sea and Gulf of Aden waterways by offering military facilities to global powers…