Yemen Deports Somaliland Trade Representative After Two Months in Detention

HARGEISA — Yemeni authorities have deported Idiris Aadan Raage, Somaliland’s trade representative to Yemen, after detaining him for more than two months in the southern port city of Aden, according to Yemeni sources and Somali media reports.

Raage was released from custody and immediately placed on a flight operated by Air Djibouti, departing from Aden International Airport. His deportation marks the end of a detention that began on June 13, 2026, when Yemeni security forces raided the Somaliland trade office in the Khormaksar district of Aden.

Yemeni authorities have not officially commented on the reasons for Raage’s detention or the circumstances surrounding his deportation. However, local media reports suggest that his arrest was linked to a May 18 event he organized in Aden, which marked Somaliland’s self-declared independence day. The event reportedly took place without the necessary permits from Yemeni authorities and was attended by members of Yemen’s Southern Transitional Council (STC).

MP Guuleed Maxamed Warsame, a member of Somaliland’s House of Representatives, said that during Raage’s detention, some of the office’s equipment and property were confiscated. He noted that Raage’s release was immediately followed by his deportation from the country.

Background and Diplomatic Context

Yemen has long hosted Somaliland’s trade representation, which was previously based in Sana’a before its operations were relocated to Aden. The deportation comes at a time of heightened diplomatic tensions surrounding Somaliland’s international engagements, particularly its growing ties with Israel.

In recent months, Somaliland has deepened its relationship with Israel, following Israel’s controversial recognition of the breakaway territory in late 2025. Israel formally accepted Somaliland’s first ambassador in February 2026, and Somaliland’s leader has held talks with the Israeli Prime Minister amid escalating Middle East tensions. Reports have also emerged of an Israeli intelligence presence in Somaliland, further straining relations with Yemen, which has historically opposed normalisation with Israel.

Somaliland’s President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi (Irro) recently visited Israel, where he opened what he described as Somaliland’s embassy in Jerusalem, a move that drew widespread condemnation from Arab and Islamic nations. Sixteen Arab and Muslim nations issued a joint statement condemning the embassy opening, describing it as illegal and a flagrant violation of international law and UN resolutions.

The deportation of Raage may also be connected to Yemen’s broader regional alignments. Yemen’s Houthi movement has conducted persistent assaults on commercial shipping and targets associated with Israel in the Gulf of Aden, characterising these actions as solidarity with Palestinians. Somaliland’s strategic location along the Gulf of Aden, opposite Yemen, has made it a focal point of geopolitical competition in the region.

In a related development, Somalia blocked UAE military flights earlier this year following reports that Yemen’s Southern Transitional Council leader, Aidarous Al-Zoubaidi, had travelled to the UAE via Somaliland, entering the country through Berbera port.

Critical Note

The deportation of Somaliland’s trade representative from Yemen highlights the fragile and contested nature of Somaliland’s international standing. While Somaliland seeks to assert its diplomatic presence through trade offices and missions, it remains unrecognised by the international community, leaving its representatives vulnerable to expulsion or detention. The incident also underscores the geopolitical tensions that have intensified in the region following Somaliland’s engagement with Israel, which has drawn opposition from Yemen, the wider Arab world, and the Federal Government of Somalia. Yemen’s decision to detain and deport Raage, while framed as a response to an unauthorised event, is likely also a signal of disapproval of Somaliland’s deepening ties with Israel. The lack of transparency from Yemeni authorities regarding the detention raises questions about due process and the treatment of diplomatic representatives. The Federal Government of Somalia, which views Somaliland as part of its sovereign territory, has not publicly commented on the incident, but may see it as a validation of its position that Somaliland’s international engagements lack legitimacy.