For 34 years, Somaliland has been struggling for recognition as an independent nation different Somalia. US President Trump could fulfill this long-held dream, but the self-proclaimed “dealmaker” also wants something in return. The small state could become a destination for resettlement from the Gaza Strip.
Donald Trump has his sights set on tiny Somaliland. The US president is proposing a “deal” to the country on the Horn of Africa that it can’t refuse: recognition as an independent, sovereign state. The nation, which has been striving for this for over 30 years. But Trump wouldn’t be Trump if the benefits for him weren’t greater than for tiny Somaliland. At stake are war strategy, valuable natural resources, and—actually unimaginable—the possible relocation of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to the Horn of Africa. Thoughts that are causing uproar in the Horn of Africa region.
“We are closer than ever,” says Mohamed Abdirahman Hassan. The Director General in the Foreign Ministry sits with marked pride at his heavy wooden desk in Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland. These days, diplomatic activity is bustling in Hargeisa. Mostly behind closed doors, but the hints point in a clear direction. “The citizens of Somaliland have been patient for a long time. We believe the time has now come for our recognition by the international community,” says Hassan. “We deserve a fair place at the table of sovereign states.”
Somaliland, which currently has a population of approximately 3.5 million, reclaimed its independence from Somalia in 1991, Despite decades of successful democratic elections and relative security, Somaliland is not recognized by the international community—in contrast to the failed state of Somalia.
The government in Hargeisa has only been in office since the beginning of the year and is still shaky on its feet. Not good in these turbulent times. DG Mohamed Abdirahman Hassan traveled to Washington with the Foreign Minister in May and was received by high-ranking government officials and parliamentarians. The visit was reportedly in preparation for a visit to Washington by Somaliland’s newly elected President H E. Mohamed Abdullahi Abdirahman.
Since then, a newfound sense of self-confidence has spread through the country’s offices, cafes, and private homes. But everyone here knows that Somaliland will have to “pay” for recognition. US access to natural resources, a US military base – all of these things are supported here. However, reports that Washington has asked numerous governments in the Horn of Africa, including Hargeisa, whether they are willing to accept Palestinian refugees from Gaza, are causing great unrest and rejection among the population.
Does Washington want to actively participate in the resettlement of the residents of the Gaza Strip? The current actions of the Israeli army in Gaza certainly add further urgency to these alleged requests from the US government. “I don’t comment on hypothetical questions,” says DG Mohamed curtly. “There are many things we cannot discuss publicly at this time,” says Hassan. “That’s diplomacy.”
It’s a fine line. US recognition would make tiny Somaliland socially acceptable. If other nations follow suit, Somaliland would become a new sovereign country, the 196th in the world. Recognition would “enable direct international investment,” explains economic expert Ahmed Abdinasser. “We would be part of the International Monetary Fund, could borrow money, and receive international assistance.
But the Trump administration isn’t interested in honoring Somaliland’s democratic efforts. The US is under time pressure to improve its position in the strategically important coastal region of the Gulf of Aden. At issue are the security situation in the Red Sea, a key area for global trade, and the Gaza conflict. Added to this is the fact that Somaliland is the only remaining country in East Africa that rejects any cooperation with China. Somaliland is considered the Taiwan of Africa.
This analogy is often used. It aptly describes the political situation, even if it’s flawed in some areas. “Somaliland clearly says no to China,” explains Abdinasser. It’s only logical that Taiwan and Somaliland maintain close political, even official, diplomatic relations. This is met with considerable criticism in Beijing. Trump’s proximity to Hargeisa is even more so. “Somaliland offers the West, especially the US, an alternative in the Horn of Africa,” says Abdinasser. “It offers a military base that is completely shielded from Chinese influence.”
The US currently operates the strategically important naval base Camp Lemonnier in neighboring Djibouti. Recently, attacks on the Houthi rebels in Yemen were coordinated from there. However, China’s influence in Djibouti is growing, and with it anti-American sentiment. The Chinese Navy also operates a military base in tiny Djibouti, practically next to Camp Lemonnier.
Trump wants to leave. The US Navy is to relocate to the new military port being built by the United Arab Emirates – a close ally of Washington – near the Somali coastal town of Berbera. It is located not far from the currently abandoned military base of the former colonial power Great Britain. Local residents report that large helicopters are increasingly flying in there at night.
Somaliland also has proven lithium deposits, oil, and gold. The newly elected Somaliland government has not disclosed whether the US will demand access to these resources in exchange for official recognition of Somaliland. Other sources say they have offered exploration rights. However, Washington is not interested in investments, but rather in a guaranteed share of the proceeds from the minerals.
Meanwhile, there is strong resistance among the population of Somaliland to the possible acceptance of Palestinians displaced from Gaza. Despite repeated affirmations by President H.E. Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi that there is no exchange with Washington on this matter, the Ministry for Refugees in Hargeisa sounds different. “We do not accept anyone who is forced to flee their country,” says Osman Hussain Aidrous, deputy director at the ministry. “But if they come voluntarily, they are welcome.”
The idea of bringing Palestinian refugees from Gaza to the Horn of Africa is said to have many supporters in Washington. The predominantly Muslim Somaliland took in 23,000 refugees last year, primarily from neighboring nations. Among them were a few Palestinian families. “If we were recognized as a sovereign state, we would have significantly more international resources at our disposal,” says Osman Hussain Aidrous. We could then provide better support to the people. “Refugees are always welcome here. We are happy to take in more.
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