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Russia may build a military base in Somaliland, a self-proclaimed state within the Federal Republic of Somalia, according to local media.
On April 2, Somaliland Informer claimed that Russia seeks a permission to construct “a small naval and air facility, housing no more than 1,500 personnel outside the city of Zeila.” The naval facility should serve two destroyer sized ships, four frigate class ships, and two large submarine pens. The air facility will include two airstrips and will be able to host up to “six heavy aircraft and fifteen fighter jets as well as space for fuel, ammunition, and base defenses.”
In return, Moscow is allegedly promising to assist Somaliland in the international recognition and “is willing to send more military advisors, both tactical and strategic, to assist the emerging Somaliland military.”
According to another Somaliland media outlet, Qaran News, Russia is interested in investing 250 million USD in Somaliland natural in gas and petroleum extraction and transport in exchange for 35% of total profits.
In 2017 and early 2018, reports circulated about possible Russian military facilities in Libya, Sudan and Egypt. However, all these speculation have remained unconfirmed.
Such reports can be described as a signal of the growing Russian influence in the Middle East, North Africa and the Horn of Africa. More and more local players may seek to get support from Moscow in exchange for providing it with more opportunities to project own military power in the region.
It’s starting to get ridiculously crowded in various military bases there. France, China, the US, Russia, the UAE, KSA, they all have bases there, sometimes within the same countries. Could be interesting if it ever came to war between those countries.
I once read a ww3 forecast and it had the horn and all east africa where the us navy and expeditionary forces where annhilated there. Just maybe…
There will be lots of frothing at the mouth in the Pentagon about this.
This will be a mutual agreement as unrecognized Somaliland badly needs recognition and international friends.
That’s were the AngloZioNazis wanted to Establish Wahhabistan-Headchopper-Paradise 2.0…
Hmmm…the US base in Djibouti will be sandwiched between the Chinese base, North of them, and the Russian at the South. Interesting times ahead.
Hey a map of somalia! Did those guys self organize? Has everyone given up on remaking somalia? Fascinating. (And no reason why they shouldnt)
Yes push military against US wherever possible.
Damn thats a very complicated country where nearly every region had its own militia, seems only some sparks this country will again fall to civil war, what a mess
Sadly, it’s been like that for a while. The border creation by Western powers (Berlin Conference, 1885) is the reason. Africa could suffer the same problems as the Middle East.
It’s not about the county being complicated. It’s about the divide and conquer strategy being implemented by foreign powers (a.k.a. Balkanization).
I wonder if this is actually more of a statement. Americans have always called themselves the worlds police force. They seemed to do it by way of murdering people but then that’s what American police do. Do you think Russia might be pushing them aside in that role?
I doubt it. Russia doesn’t have the resources for a World police role. IIRC, Putin stated that Russia isn’t interested in such a role; likely thinking of the Soviet Union days which was costly to them.
That’s a shame. They would be good at it.
Somalis seeking Russian protection form Anglo/Zionist. Had Libya the same relationship with Russia perhaps Hillary Clinton would not have been able to murder Muammar Gaddafi.
Yep. They were on a rampage ever since USSR stopped being a thing. They even managed to wage wars in Europe, a thing completly unimaginable for many decades after WWII.
Very smart move by Somaliland, if Russia is game for it and ‘someone’ doesn’t decide to spoil it.
Somaliland needs a security partner with experience and will to hammer down insurgents, terrorists and other militant undesirables and Russia has proven itself to be a much more reliable and effective strategic partner in that regard than any of the alternatives. Willingness to invest in oil/gas/harbour infrastructure is also a pretty huge deal for the country.
The international community is more interested in peace, quiet and development in Africa, than destructive influence games, so Russia might actually be able to get away with this, without provoking a violent destructive response from USA etc.
It’s more likely that ‘somebody’ shows up with a sweeter deal for Somaliland, to dissuade them from letting the Russians in… Which wouldn’t be all that bad for the region.
Having the great powers competing for East African favors is a whole lot better than having the great powers fighting devastating proxy wars in East Africa.