Somaliland is ready to grant the United States exclusive access to its minerals and to host US military bases there, the minister of the presidency in the unrecognized breakaway region, Khadar Hussein Abdi, told AFP on Saturday.
The offer underscores Somaliland’s push to turn its strategic location and resource potential into diplomatic backing and, ultimately, international recognition, as the Horn of Africa faces rising geopolitical competition and security tensions along one of the world’s busiest shipping routes.
Abdi said Somaliland was “willing to give exclusive [access to our minerals] to the United States” and that it was also open to offering military bases to Washington.
Somaliland has strategic minerals, the minister said, though quantities remain unknown because studies have not yet been conducted.
“We believe we will reach some kind of agreement with the United States,” Abdi said.
Somaliland, which unilaterally declared independence from Somalia in 1991, has sought international recognition after Israel became the first to recognize it as an independent sovereign state in late December.
In recent weeks, Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi also floated the possibility of granting Israel a concession to exploit the republic’s mineral resources.
Asked about the possibility of granting Israel a military base on Somaliland’s territory, Abdi said that nothing was ruled out.”
Washington already has a naval base in neighboring Djibouti. Djibouti and Somaliland sit at the entrance to the Bab al-Mandab Strait between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, one of the world’s busiest trade routes linking the Indian Ocean to the Suez Canal.
Israel’s recognition of Somaliland drew international condemnation and prompted an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council. China, Turkey and the African Union were among those criticizing Israel’s move, while the European Union said Somalia’s sovereignty must be respected. The United States defended Israel, accusing critics of double standards.
More than 20 countries, mostly from the Middle East and Africa, along with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, also rejected Israel’s move.
The Israeli recognition comes as the Horn of Africa sees rising tensions, including strained ties between Egypt and Ethiopia over Addis Ababa’s construction and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam without consultation or coordination with downstream states Egypt and Sudan.
The Houthis have threatened to target any Israeli presence in Somaliland, calling it a “legitimate military target.”
Abdullahi has previously said Somaliland would join the Abraham Accords, the 2020 agreement brokered by the Trump administration that saw several Arab states normalize relations with Israel.
On Somaliland’s strategic importance, Reuters said it occupies a key location where the Indian Ocean meets the Red Sea, and that the port of Berbera provides access to some of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.
Egypt’s El-Sisi reaffirmed his support for Somalia and said during a joint news conference with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in January 2024, “We won’t allow anyone to threaten Somalia, and no one should test Egypt.”
Turkey, an old rival and current partner of Egypt, also has close ties with Ethiopia and Somalia, training Somali security forces and providing development aid in exchange for a foothold on a major global shipping route.
After talks mediated by Turkey, Ethiopia agreed in December 2024 to work with Somalia to resolve the dispute, but it is now rumored to be preparing to recognize Somaliland.
India has denied reports that it was preparing to recognize Somaliland, even as some analysts say it should do so to counter China’s economic influence in the Horn of Africa, particularly in Djibouti as well as in Kenya and Tanzania.
The United Arab Emirates, which normalized ties with Israel in 2020 under the Abraham Accords, has also entrenched its influence in the region. It runs the port of Berbera through Dubai government-owned DP World, as well as Berbera Airport and the free trade zone between the port and the airport, Reuters said.
