On March 16, the US-based media outlet Semafor published a letter from Somalia’s
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to the US President. In this letter, Somalia offered
the United States “special operational authority” over key ports in the Gulf of Aden,
attempting to block any recognition of the Republic of Somaliland by Washington
(Semafor, 2025).
This is not a new event, as Somalia has long invested significant resources in obstructing
Somaliland’s international recognition. Recently, a major scandal emerged revealing that
Somalia’s embassy hired BGR, one of Washington’s largest lobbying firms, paying
$50,000 per month for a year—totaling $600,000—to prevent President Trump from
recognizing Somaliland. This constitutes a misuse of US taxpayers’ aid meant to support
Somalia (The Africa Report, 2025).
Meanwhile, signals given before Trump began his second term have given Somalilanders
renewed hope that the U.S. may become the first country to recognize the Republic of
Somaliland. After all, Somaliland has maintained peace, stability, and a democratic
government for nearly 34 years with minimal external support. Recent reports indicatethat the Trump administration is seriously considering granting international recognition
to Somaliland in exchange for a military base and stronger bilateral ties.
Somaliland Government’s Response
In response to Somalia’s latest move, the President of the Republic of Somaliland,
Abdirahman Mohamed Abdilahi Irro, issued a strong statement on Sunday, denouncing
Somalia’s leader for his desperate attempt to offer the Berbera Port and airbase to the
United States. He stated: “It is surprising to hear such news from the President of
Somalia. While he cannot even govern Mogadishu, he is attempting to enter into an
agreement with the U.S. regarding the use of Berbera Port—something he has no
legitimacy over.”
Furthermore, he emphasized: “The Republic of Somaliland is an independent, sovereign
state with a legal history. Somaliland gained its independence on June 26, 1960.
Therefore, Somalia has no legal authority to negotiate any agreements involving the
Berbera port with another state.”
Additionally, President Irro underscored: “A democratically elected government is
currently in power in Somaliland. I want to make it clear to the international community
that Hassan Sheikh does not govern Somaliland—he barely controls Mogadishu, and even that is not enough for him. Hassan Sheikh wants to mislead the United States to derail
the legal recognition of Somaliland.”
Beyond these remarks, the President addressed the international community and
neighboring countries, stressing: “I inform the international community and neighboring
countries that Somalia poses a threat to regional peace and stability due to its illegal
claims over Somaliland’s sovereignty” (SOLNA, 2025).
Moreover, Somaliland Foreign Minister Abdirahman Dahir Aden denounced the Somalia
government’s move as a desperate attempt to remain relevant on the global stage. In
response, he firmly stated: “There is nothing they can do to stop the upcoming recognition
of Somaliland,” a sentiment he reiterated in a post on X.
Likewise, Somaliland’s Minister of Information, Ahmed Yassin Ali Ayaanle, strongly
refuted Mohamud’s claims regarding Somaliland’s territory and Berbera Port. He pointed
out: “Somalia and Somaliland’s legal statuses are distinct, yet Hassan Sheikh continues
to send misleading letters to America to prevent recognition.” Furthermore, he criticized
Mohamud for underestimating the intelligence of the US government, asserting that the
Trump administration is well aware of Somaliland’s legal history (Somaliland National
TV, 2025).Similarly, Minister of the Presidency Khadar Hussein Abdi responded to Mohamud’s
illegal claims regarding Somaliland’s sovereignty. He stated unequivocally: “Somalia
should focus on its internal challenges rather than making baseless claims over land it
neither controls nor has legitimate authority over. Somaliland alone decides Berbera
Port’s strategic future, including its military role. The United States knows exactly who to
engage with regarding Berbera.” Mr. Khadar reiterated his stance in a post on X.
Laasgeel Institute’s Views
The fundamental question remains: Does Somalia’s President have any legitimacy to offer
Somaliland’s territory to the United States? The answer is unequivocal—Somalia has no
authority to grant the U.S. “control” over strategic ports in Somaliland. Furthermore,
Somaliland is not legally part of Somalia. It gained full independence on June 26, 1960,
and has never transferred its jurisdiction to Somalia. Somaliland reclaimed its statehood
on May 18, 1991, reasserting its independence rather than seeking secession. The United
States was among the 35 countries that recognized Somaliland’s independence in 1960
and remains fully aware of this history.
Additionally, the United States fully understands that Somalia holds no legal claim over
Somaliland. A prime example is the agreement between Somaliland and the United Arab
Emirates regarding Berbera Port, which was implemented despite Mogadishu’s
objections. This agreement succeeded because Somaliland has a legitimate,
democratically elected government (UAE-Somaliland Agreement, 2016).Conclusion
Laasgeel Institute underscores that Somaliland’s territorial integrity is non-negotiable.
The Republic of Somaliland stands ready to engage with the Trump administration to
establish a bilateral agreement in pursuit of international recognition based on mutual
interests. Somaliland is governed by democratically elected leaders, making any
agreement Somalia attempts over its territory legally invalid. We urge the international
community, neighboring countries, the UN, and the African Union that Somalia’s
interference poses a significant threat to regional stability, peace, and democracy.
Op-Ed: This is an analysis and view of Laasgeel Institute for Policy Studies and Research
Analysis, based in Hargeisa, Somaliland.
Email: info@laasgeelinstitute.com
Reference
1- Semafor. (2025). Somalia’s desperate letter to the US: Blocking
Somaliland recognition.
https://www.semafor.com/article/03/28/2025/somalia-offers-us-control-
over-strategic-ports2- BBC Africa. (2025). Somaliland Foreign Minister responds to
Somalia’s lobbying efforts.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8d4dzq87rpo
3- Foreign Policy. (2025). Trump administration considers recognizing
Somaliland in exchange for military access.
https://www.horndiplomat.com/2025/03/u-s-considers-somaliland-
recognition-in-exchange-for-strategic-military-base-near-berbera-
financial-times/
4- SOLNA. (2025). Somaliland President: Somalia’s interference
threatens regional stability:
https://x.com/SolnaAgency/status/1906062171148316689?t=bjFAri3HqYiV
BeF-2PIfnQ&s=19
5- Somaliland National TV. (2025). Somaliland leaders react to Somalia’s
diplomatic maneuvering.
https://x.com/SLNTV/status/1905930125687873706?t=hE1VOPkPE5uvvYb
wyv8HDg&s=19
6- The Africa Report. (2025). Somalia paid $600,000 to lobby against
Somaliland’s recognition.
https://www.theafricareport.com/372106/somalia-hires-lobbyists-
prepares-for-more-combative-trump-era/7- UAE-Somaliland Agreement. (2016). Berbera Port deal with UAE
finalized despite Mogadishu’s protests.
https://maritime-executive.com/article/somalia-protests-dp-world-deal-for-port-of-berbera
