Small is beautiful, but perhaps not in global geo-politics. Fragmenting a sizeable country with rich resources – a phenomenon called balkanization – is a part of the policy of imperialist forces ever since the 1800s. These tiny territories, upgraded into the status of sovereign countries, serve a military purpose.
The recognition of Somaliland (which broke away from Somalia in 1991) by Israel, the first and the only country in the world to do so, exposes the double standards of the western powers, which want to control the sea routes across the planet, especially in the crucial oil-producing and transporting regions. Bab-el-Mandeb, Strait of Hormuz, Panama Canal, Suez Canal, Malacca Strait, etc., are some of the crucial shipping lanes.
The December 26, 2025, decision of Israel, which got full backing of the United States, as well as the dirty role being played by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Somaliland, Yemen and Sudan, gives an idea about the design of the United States and its allies.
Ironically, the piecing of colonies across Asia and Africa followed a totally contrary development, which took place in Europe in the mid-19th century. The fractured territories of Germany and Italy underwent a process of unification. Thus, after Britain, France, Spain, Portugal, etc,, united Germany and Italy and later rose to become colonial powers by the late 19th century.
Israel was among the first dot on the global map to come up following the fragmentation of the erstwhile Ottoman Empire after the end of World War-I. The truth is that in the name of this Jewish State, it is the United States and its allies which play their dirty games.
Apparently, Israel is a secondary player in this imperialist plan in Somaliland as well as Yemen, Sudan and Syria – the effort is also on to bifurcate or trifurcate the last named country. With just 6.30 lakh Jews brought from all over the world, Israel was itself created by the Christian Zionist powers in 1948 to work as a military outpost in the heartland of Arab world and to man the Suez Canal. On the other end of the Red Sea, Aden in Yemen was till 1967 a British colony.
Creation of UAE
Similarly, in the last few years, the UAE is playing a significant role to facilitate the military presence of the United States and its allies. The UAE owe its birth to the coming together of seven Sheikhdoms in 1971-72. It was given the status of country by the global powers, which were the real master till then. With the population of just 3.85 lakh then, the UAE can hardly be called a State.
According to the definition of State in political science, it should be sovereign, should have government, population and territory. So, be it Israel or the UAE, both are inherently weak State. They can just be small provinces of any country. But, since the purpose was to make them military bases, they were elevated to the status of independent country/State by the West-dominated world.
Today the population of the UAE may be over 1 crore, but 90 per cent of them are expatriates – five per cent or 5.10 lakh are from the western countries. Mind it, the original Arab citizens in UAE are just over 10 lakh. Thus, the fact is that the British has never left the UAE, as 2.40 lakh Britons live in this former colony. There are in all 5,000 British companies in that tiny country.
Balkanization suits the West
As balkanization, or fragmentation of strategically situated big countries, suits the global masters, various separatist groups are financed, armed and fully backed by them. In recent decades, East Timor and South Sudan have been carved out from Indonesia and Sudan with this very purpose. Countries like Israel and now the UAE are being used by these western powers as a launching pad for their nefarious expeditionary objective. Somaliland may soon join this rank.
If reports are to be believed, the western plan is to shift the entire population of Palestinians from Gaza to Somaliland. It may soon be compelled to sign Abraham Accord and emerge as a military base to check the presence of Houthis or Ansarullah in Yemen.
Apart from this, the presence of Chinese naval base in the nearby Djibouti, another country in the Horn of Africa, is causing alarm in the West.
While Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, etc., condemned the Israeli recognition of Somaliland, the UAE remained silent as it has already invested heavily in the infrastructure development there. The UAE has a military base too there. In contrast Riyadh and Ankara have made massive investments in Somalia. At the same time, Iran has much at stake in Yemen, so has Saudi Arabia, which is trying to mend its fences with Houthis.
Mohammad Bin Salman’s reluctance to sign the Abraham Accord after October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel and subsequent genocide of the Palestinians as well as the China-brokered peace deal between Saudi Arabia and Iran signed on March 10, 2023, have caused anxiety in the West.
Besides, Saudi Arabia is lending friendly hand towards Russia and China, the move not liked in Washington, London, Paris, Berlin, Rome, etc. In contrast, the UAE provided bases to Israel in the area controlled by it in Yemen.
It was after the chain of incidents that UAE (or read West) developed serious differences with Riyadh. Abu Dhabi started backing Southern Transitional Council, a secessionist movement seeking bifurcation of the southern Yemen, which was till now held by Saudi Arabia and the UAE-supported government. The former reacted by bombarding the Southern Transitional Council. Tehran was pleased by rift within the anti-Houthi alliance.
Saudi Arabia is now realising that not Iran, but it is the West, which with the help of the UAE and Israel, is tightening its noose around it. So, be it in Sudan, Somaliland, Yemen and even in case of Libya, the two former allies – the UAE and Saudi Arabia – are on either side of the battleline.
Incidentally, what is not getting due notice is that 153 out of 193 members of the United Nations have recognized Palestine, a move stoutly opposed by the US and, obviously, Israel.
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