Israel ally Somaliland offers 2,000 troops for Gaza stabilisation force

Somaliland is willing to deploy 2,000 troops for a planned US-led force in Gaza, President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi on Wednesday, adding that he is waiting for Washington or Israel to formally request its participation. 

Speaking on the sidelines of the MEAD conference in Washington, which focuses on developments in the Middle East, Abdullahi stressed that the breakaway region of Somalia was not volunteering for the mission. 

“If they ask, we can provide,” he said, adding that, if requested, his forces are "ready", with an army of approximately 25,000 soldiers and a coast guard of around 1,500 personnel. 

As part of the Gaza peace plan envisioned by US President Donald Trump's self-styled "Board of Peace", an International Stabilisation Force (ISF) would be deployed to Gaza to secure areas following the withdrawal of Israeli forces. The force would also train new Palestinian police forces and support the delivery of humanitarian aid.  

Abdullahi's comments come after Uganda approved the deployment of army troops to the ISF last month, becoming the first African state to declare its participation in the stabilisation force. 

However, the prospect of Ugandan troops joining the mission has prompted debate in the country. 

Opposition lawmakers were probing further details about the nature of the deployment, while raising questions over Kampala's approval and whether it has wider African backing.

Politicians in the country were particularly skeptical regarding whether Uganda acted without consulting its partners in the African Union (AU), as the bloc has consistently expressed support for the Palestinian cause and backed the implementation of a two-state solution. 

Meanwhile, Israel has spent decades developing relations with several African countries, signified recently in Tel Aviv's official recognition of Somaliland as an independent state -- a position rejected by Somalia and most countries. 

Somaliland subsequently opened an embassy in Jerusalem in June during Abdullahi's first official visit to Israel.