Houthi: We Will Stand Guard Against Israel and Its Ambitions in Somalia

SadaNews - The Houthis declared on Sunday evening that they will stand guard against Israel's schemes in Somalia and the Horn of Africa.

This statement was issued by the Foreign Ministry of the Houthi government and published by the Yemeni news agency, "Saba," in its Houthi-affiliated version.

The statement condemned "the visit of the so-called president of the 'Somaliland' region to the hostile Israeli entity".

The statement came after the separatist region's president in Somalia, Abdul Rahman Mohammed Abdullah, arrived in Israel for a first-of-its-kind visit on Sunday, during which he will inaugurate an embassy for the region in West Jerusalem, according to Israeli media.

The Houthis emphasized that "those who visit, shake hands with, and recognize war criminals from the Zionist entity, whose hands are stained with the blood of Arab brothers in Palestine, Lebanon, Iran, and Yemen, and who harbor enmity towards the Islamic nation and its sanctities should feel shame and disgrace".

They added that "the hostile Israeli entity will not be able to achieve its malicious schemes in Somalia and the Horn of Africa, and Yemen will stand guard against it".

The group stated that "the proximity of Hargeisa (the center of the separatist region) to the occupying enemy entity will only increase its distance from its Arab surroundings and its Islamic nation, and will not achieve any goals or fulfill any aims".

They called for "an Arab stance that exceeds mere condemnation and takes tangible actions to stop these disgraceful steps coming from Hargeisa".

They expressed their "full support for their brothers in the Federal Republic of Somalia to confront the malicious Zionist project that targets Somalia, the Horn of Africa, and the entire region".

It is noteworthy that Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi previously stated in January that his group is "serious" about targeting any Israeli presence in the so-called 'Somaliland' separatist region.

Hours earlier, Israeli President Isaac Herzog posted pictures on the "X" platform and wrote: "Welcome to the president of Somaliland, Abdul Rahman Abdullah, in Israel".

Herzog claimed that the visit "embodies the tremendous potential for a new partnership between our countries".

The Israeli newspaper "Ma'ariv" clarified that this visit, which is the first of its kind and will last two days, will include meetings with Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Foreign Minister Gidon Sa'ar, along with a series of official and economic events. The visit will conclude on Monday with "the opening of the Somaliland embassy in Jerusalem".

On May 18, Mohamed Haji presented his credentials to the Israeli president as the first ambassador of the internationally unrecognized separatist region.

Before this, on April 15, Israel announced the appointment of Mikhail Lotim as its first "non-resident" ambassador to the region.

In December 2025, Israel recognized the separatist region, which Somalia rejected, provoking widespread regional and international criticism of Tel Aviv.

Before this recognition, the region had not received any official recognition since declaring its separation from Somalia in 1991.

The Israeli recognition raised warnings that Tel Aviv might seek to displace Palestinians from the Gaza Strip there, amid affirmations from regional countries, including Egypt, of their rejection of any resettlement operations there.