Somaliland President Seeks U.S. Partnership After Israel Recognition

By: Mohamed Duale

DUBAI — Somaliland plans to step up diplomatic outreach to Washington and other major capitals following Israel’s recognition of the republic of Somaliland, pitching itself as a strategic and resource-rich partner in the Horn of Africa, its president said.

President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdilahi Irro said the recognition by Israel late last year had elevated Somaliland’s international profile and created new momentum for its long-standing bid for wider recognition.

“The recognition of Somaliland was a historic moment for myself and for my people,” Abdilahi said in an interview with Semafor in Dubai. He said the move had drawn global attention to Somaliland’s political status and strategic position.

Israel became the first country to formally recognize Somaliland in December, prompting criticism from the African Union, the European Union and several regional powers, including China, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Somaliland officials said the backlash was expected and driven by geopolitical interests rather than legal or historical considerations.

Somaliland reasserted its independence in 1991, restoring the sovereignty it first attained in June 1960. The territory entered into a voluntary union with Somalia later that year, a union that was never legally ratified and subsequently collapsed. Since then, Somaliland has maintained its own elected governments, security forces, judiciary and democratic system, functioning as a self-governing republic.

Abdilahi said Somaliland would continue pursuing recognition cautiously while expanding its network of international partners. “We are working hard to get more friends and countries,” he said, adding that diplomatic efforts would remain largely discreet.

The president said Somaliland also intends to deepen ties with Israel, including potential exchanges of diplomatic and commercial representatives. He highlighted Israel’s technological expertise as an area of cooperation, particularly in agriculture, water management, education and science.

Somaliland is also renewing its pitch to the United States, emphasizing its strategic coastline along the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, as well as its untapped natural resources. Abdilahi said the territory has deposits of minerals, oil and gas, large areas of arable land and a location critical to global shipping routes.

Supporters of Somaliland recognition in Washington argue that formal ties could bolster U.S. security interests in the Horn of Africa, including monitoring maritime traffic, arms flows and militant activity linked to Yemen, while countering China’s growing footprint in the region. Beijing operates a military base in neighboring Djibouti.

The United Arab Emirates remains Somaliland’s largest foreign investor. Emirati port operator DP World has invested more than $400 million to expand Berbera Port and develop a nearby trade and manufacturing zone, turning the facility into a key logistics hub along the Red Sea corridor.

Reporting based on an interview conducted by Semafor.