U.S.–Somaliland Strategic Partnership Summit
“Recognition Restored: Building the U.S.–Somaliland Strategic Partnership for the 21st Century”
Thursday, June 25, 2026 · The Westin Tysons Corner · Falls Church, Virginia
This document records the conclusions reached at the U.S.–Somaliland Strategic Partnership Summit, sets forth the Declaration adopted by its participants, and issues the Call to Action to which they have committed. It is drawn directly from the proceedings of the day — the historical and legal case for recognition, the strategic assessment of Somaliland’s position in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, the bilateral U.S.–Somaliland partnership, and the concrete opportunities for trade, security, education, and development that the Summit examined.
Part I
Summit Conclusion
A Synthesis of the Day’s Proceedings
On June 25, 2026, supporters of the Republic of Somaliland — policy analysts, scholars, security professionals, business and faith leaders, and members of the diaspora — convened at The Westin Tysons Corner in Falls Church, Virginia, under the auspices of the Somaliland Strategic Advisory Group. They came to answer a single question with new urgency: how the United States and Somaliland, together with the State of Israel, should build a strategic partnership equal to a changed world. The Summit’s deliberations converged on a clear conclusion. The case for recognition is no longer merely a matter of historical justice; it is a matter of present strategic interest for the United States — and the moment to act is now.
- Who Is Somaliland — The Historical and Democratic Foundation
In its opening session, the Summit established that Somaliland’s claim rests on documented facts. British Somaliland attained sovereign independence on June 26, 1960, and was recognized by more than thirty-five countries before voluntarily entering a union with the former Italian Somaliland, which was never perfected in law. The restoration of Somaliland’s sovereignty in 1991 returned it to its internationally recognized 1960 borders. In the thirty-five years since, Somaliland has built a constitutional government, held repeated competitive elections, peacefully transferred power, established an independent currency, and maintained durable internal security — achievements presented by Dr. Ali Duale and the Session I panel, moderated by Safia Hashi, which included Anab Ali and Ayan Ismail. The panel discussed the democratic process and the role of women. Ayan Ismail, a candidate for parliament in Somaliland, addressed the challenges women face in participating in the political process.
- Why Somaliland Matters Now — The Strategic Imperative
Across both parts of its second session, the Summit reached an unambiguous strategic assessment. A presentation by Fuad Ismail made the case in the first part. Somaliland sits astride one of the world’s most consequential maritime corridors — the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the approaches to the Bab el-Mandeb — at a moment when freedom of navigation can no longer be taken for granted, and the security of global trade is contested. The deep-water Port of Berbera is a strategic gateway; Somaliland’s counterterrorism and maritime-security record is proven; and the contest for influence in the Horn of Africa is already underway. In the second part, moderated by Burhan Adam, the distinguished panel of Dr. Jamal Ali Hussein, Mohamed Yasin Olad, and Rageh Omaar — a highlight of the Summit — brought exceptional depth and rigor to this assessment, concluding that an unrecognized, unanchored Somaliland is a strategic liability the West cannot afford, while a recognized, partnered Somaliland is an asset of the first order.
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