Although the United States currently recognizes Somalia's claim to sovereignty over the region, Somaliland's president, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, is seeking to persuade Washington to support the semi-autonomous region's aspirations for recognition, at a time when competition for Donald Trump's attention is intensifying as Washington and Beijing compete for strategic resources in Africa.
Abdullah, who took power in the breakaway region in the Horn of Africa in 2024, said that talks with the US Embassy in Somalia and the US Department of Defense aim to establish a new partnership in the areas of economic cooperation, security, and counterterrorism.
"We discussed ways and mechanisms for cooperation in the areas of security, trade, and regional stability," the president said in an interview on Monday, noting that the US ambassador to Somalia has visited Somaliland several times in recent months, while US Department of Defense officials visited the region in December.
Although Somaliland has failed to gain international recognition as a sovereign state since declaring its independence in 1991, the region has remained relatively stable while Somalia has suffered from three decades of civil war and an insurgency by armed Islamist groups.
Recognizing Somaliland, a strategically located state, would strengthen the US presence in an increasingly important region, where the Houthis in Yemen have targeted vessels linked to Israel, the United States, and other countries supporting the war in Gaza.
The United Arab Emirates, a close ally of the United States, already operates a port in the Somaliland city of Berbera and controls a nearby airstrip used by military aircraft.
But Washington will also have to consider the implications of recognizing Somaliland, particularly regarding security cooperation with Somalia, where it has played a key role in supporting the government against ISIS and al-Qaeda.
Although US Ambassador Richard Riley and other officials met with President Abdullahi and Somaliland officials to discuss shared interests in the Horn of Africa region, the US State Department confirmed in a statement that Washington is not in active talks with Somaliland representatives regarding a deal to recognize it as a state.
The ministry said that the United States recognizes the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Somalia, including Somaliland, a statement reiterated by the Somali Foreign Ministry.
Source: Bloomberg
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