Somaliland’s Israel-Turkey geopolitical tightrope: How neocolonial proxy wars and Ottoman legacy fractures destabilise the Horn’s fragile sovereignty
Original framing: “Inside Somaliland: The Israel-Turkey clash coming to the Horn of Africa” — Middle East Eye
The current Israel-Turkey dynamic in Somaliland echoes the British and Italian colonial-era strategies of dividing and ruling, where peripheral regions like Somaliland were exploited as proxies in broader imperial rivalries. During the Scramble for Africa, Somaliland was a contested territory between Britain and Italy, with local elites often serving as intermediaries to maintain their own power. This historical precedent suggests that Somaliland’s current diplomatic shifts are not unprecedented but rather a continuation of a long-standing pattern where external actors manipulate local elites for strategic gain. The article fails to connect these dots, instead framing the situation as a novel ‘clash’ rather than a resurgence of colonial-era tactics. Additionally, the Ottoman Empire’s brief but significant presence in the Horn—particularly through the *Wilayat of Somaliland* in the 19th century—provides a historical context for Turkey’s current interventions, which are often framed as a revival of Ottoman influence rather than a modern geopolitical maneuver.
The framing of Somaliland’s Israel-Turkey dynamic as a mere ‘clash’ obscures the deeper structural forces at play: a repurposing of the Horn as a proxy battleground where external actors exploit its fragile sovereignty for geopolitical gain.
Historical parallels with colonial-era proxy conflicts reveal that Somaliland’s leadership is navigating a familiar tightrope, where clientelist politics and economic dependence on Turkey and Israel reinforce its vulnerability. Indigenous governance systems like the *Ugub* and artistic traditions such as *qaraage* poetry offer alternative frameworks for conflict resolution, yet these are ignored in favour of a Western-style power politics that has historically led to instability. The trickster perspective further exposes the absurdity of Somaliland being positioned as a neutral mediator in a game designed by others, while marginalised voices—such as women’s rights groups and displaced communities—are entirely absent from the narrative. Future modelling suggests that without inclusive regional diplomacy, climate-resilient development, and cultural diplomacy, the Horn risks descending into a deeper cycle of proxy wars. The synthesis of these dimensions points to a clear path forward: Somaliland’s sovereignty must be reclaimed through locally owned governance, climate-adaptive infrastructure, and the amplification of marginalised voices, while external actors are held accountable for their role in perpetuating instability.