Somaliland, a breakaway region of Somalia, has pledged to contribute up to 2000 troops to the planned international force which is expected to be deployed in the Gaza strip, a major site of military conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Middle East.
Somaliland President Abdirham Mohamed Abdullahi made the pledge on Thursday in Washington while he was attending a conference dwelling on political and security situations in the Middle East.
“Somaliland will contribute troops to the planned international force if US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu formally request to do so,” Abdullahi said.
The planned international force is expected to have a strength of around 20,000 personnel and would be tasked to helping secure Gaza, supporting the training of Palestinian police and facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid.
Abdullahi pledge comes amid growing ties between Somaliland and Israel after Tel Aviv had recognised Somaliland as an independent nation, a move that faced strong opposition from Somalia and several other countries especially in the Muslim world.
In June this year, Abdullahi visited Israel and subsequently opened a Somaliland diplomatic mission in Jerusalem and signed the Abrham Accords Frameworks, aimed at establishing closer ties between Israel and Muslim majority countries.
The moves drew criticism from several Muslim countries and other parties which oppose Israel’s policies in Palestinian territories.
The Somaliland president said his administration had discussed recognition and security cooperation with US officials in Washington, but stressed that he had received no commitment from the trump administration that the United States would recognize Somaliland.
Somaliland declared independence from Somaliland in 1991 but had not secured broad international recognition. Its push for diplomatic recognition has intensified in recent years,
with the administration seeking closer economic, political and security ties with foreign governments.
Uganda has already approved a contingent of about 1200 troops, while Morocco has committed to contributing up to 500 troops. Albania, Kazakhstan and Kosovo have also pledged military personnel to the planned international force.
MG/as/APA