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The French report indicated that the gradual construction project of the military base is supported by the United Arab Emirates and aims to serve the interests of the United States and Israel.
According to the report, satellite images seen by the newspaper showed ongoing expansions at Berbera Airport since October 2025, including infrastructure development work, which the newspaper considered an indication of the establishment of a new military facility in a strategically important location at the southern entrance to the Red Sea.
Le Monde noted that the city of Berbera has become the focus of increasing attention for regional and international powers, due to its location overlooking the Gulf of Aden and its proximity to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, one of the world's most important maritime passages.
The report linked these moves to the growing competition for influence in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea region, in light of the security tensions in the region and the challenges associated with protecting international shipping lanes.
The report, as published by the newspaper, did not include any official comment from the UAE, the United States, or Israel regarding its contents, nor has there been an official response from the authorities of "Somaliland" or the Somali Federal Government regarding these allegations so far.
The city of Berbera enjoys a strategic location on the Gulf of Aden, near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, through which a large percentage of global trade and energy supplies pass between Asia and Europe, making the region a focal point of military and economic competition between regional and international powers.
The UAE has been investing for years in the port of Berbera through DP World, which develops and operates the port. The UAE has also previously used facilities in Berbera for logistical and military purposes during its operations in Yemen, before announcing the reduction of its military presence there.
Somaliland, which unilaterally declared its independence from Somalia in 1991, has de facto independent administration and institutions, but it does not have international recognition as an independent state, while the federal government in Mogadishu affirms its commitment to the unity of Somali territory and rejects any arrangements or agreements concluded with the region without its consent.
In recent years, the Red Sea and Horn of Africa region has witnessed an escalation in geopolitical competition, with a number of countries seeking to strengthen their military and logistical presence to protect commercial interests and secure one of the world’s most important maritime routes.
