{"id":410375,"date":"2025-09-09T12:06:11","date_gmt":"2025-09-09T12:06:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/410375\/"},"modified":"2025-09-09T12:06:11","modified_gmt":"2025-09-09T12:06:11","slug":"the-u-s-should-not-recognize-somaliland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/410375\/","title":{"rendered":"The U.S. Should Not Recognize Somaliland"},"content":{"rendered":"

On Aug. 14, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz called on the Trump administration to recognize Somaliland as an independent state. Cruz\u2019s appeal was pitched<\/a> as a way to reward democracy and counter China\u2019s influence in Africa.<\/p>\n

The call for recognition echoes a broader push among American conservatives, including from Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts, who has declared<\/a>, \u201cAmerica should proudly be the first state to recognize Somaliland.\u201d Supporters argue recognition would reward Somaliland\u2019s relative stability and electoral record in contrast to Somalia\u2019s dysfunction.<\/p>\n

On Aug. 14, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz called on the Trump administration to recognize Somaliland as an independent state. Cruz\u2019s appeal was pitched<\/a> as a way to reward democracy and counter China\u2019s influence in Africa.<\/p>\n

The call for recognition echoes a broader push among American conservatives, including from Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts, who has declared<\/a>, \u201cAmerica should proudly be the first state to recognize Somaliland.\u201d Supporters argue recognition would reward Somaliland\u2019s relative stability and electoral record in contrast to Somalia\u2019s dysfunction.<\/p>\n

Since the early 2000s, Somaliland has organized multiple presidential, parliamentary, and municipal elections involving peaceful transfers of power. International observers, though limited in number, have generally found<\/a> these polls to be credible, despite recurring delays and disputes over the voter registration.<\/p>\n

In addition to emphasizing this track record of democracy, Republicans also frame<\/a> a state of Somaliland as a strategic counterweight to China. Rep. John Moolenaar, chairman of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, wrote in a January letter that the creation of a U.S. representative office in the capital of Hargeisa would \u201cunderscore our commitment to countering the [People\u2019s Republic of China\u2019s] PRC\u2019s growing influence in one of the world\u2019s most geopolitically significant regions.\u201d Moolenaar pointed to Djibouti\u2019s embrace of Beijing and hinted at potential U.S. basing rights at the port of Berbera\u2014the same port Somalia\u2019s government offered<\/a> to the U.S. earlier this year. Further sweetening the deal, Somaliland has built a relationship<\/a> with Taiwan\u2014supposedly<\/a> an indicator of its willingness to stand by U.S. partners against Beijing\u2019s interests.<\/p>\n

Yet these claims, however appealing on the surface, collapse under scrutiny. Recognition now would not advance U.S. interests. It would destabilize the Horn of Africa, undermine counterterrorism cooperation, and embolden separatist movements across Africa with violent consequences.<\/p>\n

Although Somaliland runs its own local administration and maintains security forces, it has no international recognition and remains legally part of Somalia. At the heart of this ongoing issue lies the legacy of the former British Somaliland. When Somali dictator Mohamed Siad Barre was overthrown in 1991, a civil war broke out across the nation. The Somali National Movement (SNM) declared Somaliland\u2019s independence in the country\u2019s northwest\u2014a region of roughly 6 million people bordering Ethiopia and Djibouti. The SNM, which was predominantly from the Isaaq clan, based its claim on the borders of this former British protectorate, whereas the rest of Somalia had been under Italian colonial rule. However, such claims ignored the deeply entrenched clan-based affiliations of the regions within these borders. This was made evident later, in 1998, when the Dhulbahante-Darod clan residing in eastern Somaliland joined the newly formed Puntland State of Somalia, which was also Darod. This was an early sign that Somaliland\u2019s claim was far from universally accepted.<\/p>\n

Just weeks ago, a new pro-union entity called the North Eastern State declared itself in the Sool, Sanaag, and Ayn regions\u2014the same territory Somaliland has long claimed. These regions have consistently opposed Somaliland\u2019s independence and instead backed a united Somalia.<\/p>\n

Somaliland\u2019s attempts to impose control there have left deep scars. In 2007, its forces occupied the capital of Sool, Las Anod, and its surrounding towns, ruling for years amid accusations of serious abuses<\/a>. During renewed clashes in 2023, Somaliland troops shelled civilian neighborhoods and hospitals, displacing more than 150,000 people. Local militias backed by fighters from the state of Puntland eventually retook the region and later reorganized it as the North Eastern State of Somalia. Not only does this history remain a deep blemish on Somaliland\u2019s record, but it also serves as a major blow to Somaliland\u2019s territorial integrity\u2014a reminder that it lacks full control over its claimed regions.<\/p>\n

Endorsing recognition now would inflame these wounds and raise the risk of violent clashes between pro-union and pro-separatist factions. The Darod\u2019s inter-clan dynamics ensure that any conflict involving one will likely draw in the other. This could quickly escalate a local skirmish into a wider regional conflict that stretches across Somaliland\u2019s borders, as with the clashes in 2023. The U.S. should not legitimize another fragile rupture in a region already unsettled by Ethiopia\u2019s wars and instability along the Red Sea corridor.<\/p>\n

Even more concerning are the counterterrorism implications. Somaliland has at times signaled interest in ties with Israel, including outreach<\/a> dating back to the 1990s and periodic reports of quiet contact. These ties help explain why Israel has floated<\/a> proposals to relocate Palestinians in Gaza to Somaliland, an idea that has already generated anger<\/a> across the region and the Muslim world. Critics have described it as forced displacement disguised as policy and a move that would violate international law<\/a>. Extremist groups across Somalia such as al-Shabab are exploiting this climate. Over the past year and a half, the group has already tied Israel\u2019s war on Gaza to its own insurgency in Somali-language Telegram channels, casting itself as part of a broader struggle against Western-backed oppression.<\/p>\n

If the Somaliland relocation proposal gains traction, it is almost certain that al-Shabab and its affiliates will seize on it as proof of a Western and Somaliland conspiracy to uproot Muslims and divide Somali territory. If the United States were to recognize Somaliland, it would confirm al-Shabab\u2019s narrative and pour fuel on the fire. These groups would exploit grievances and use them as a tool to ramp up recruitment, which would set back years of U.S. investment<\/a> in counterterrorism partnerships across the region.<\/p>\n

Recognition would not only embolden extremists but also separatist movements across Africa. Secessionist groups from Ethiopia\u2019s Oromia and Tigray regions, to movements in Nigeria and Cameroon, would see it as a green light. Rather than strengthening democracy, recognition would embolden separatists, which would raise the likelihood of new conflicts and even civil wars.<\/p>\n

Unlike Somaliland, the only two African countries to gain independence in recent decades, Eritrea in 1993 and South Sudan in 2011, did so with the formal consent of their parent states following popular votes. A unilateral United States recognition of Somaliland without agreement from Somalia\u2019s federal government or consultation with regional partners would mark a dramatic break from those norms. It would damage Washington\u2019s credibility across Africa and open new opportunities for rivals such as China and Russia to portray the U.S. as reckless and self-serving.<\/p>\n

None of this means Somaliland\u2019s achievements should be ignored. Its relative stability and electoral practices are notable, but stability is not the same as sovereignty. Washington has tools to encourage progress without crossing the recognition threshold and has been doing so for years. U.S. military and congressional delegations have conducted site visits to the strategic Port of Berbera, and Africa Command leaders and U.S. Embassy officials have also met Somaliland leaders in Hargeisa. On the development side, Washington has invested in energy projects in Hargeisa while also providing grants to strengthen Somaliland\u2019s parliamentary institutions. Most importantly, these projects are all formally authorized through the federal government of Somalia, even when implemented by local actors. The United States can continue to engage with Somaliland this way, promoting growth while upholding Somalia\u2019s territorial integrity.<\/p>\n

The Horn of Africa sits at a global crossroads, and a new conflict there would be a disaster. It connects vital maritime routes through the Red Sea, anchors counterterrorism efforts, and shapes Africa\u2019s wider security landscape. The United States should stay focused on practical steps that build stability, not open the door to greater chaos.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"On Aug. 14, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz called on the Trump administration to recognize Somaliland as an independent…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":410376,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5311],"tags":[60162,65163,1771,49,978,659],"class_list":{"0":"post-410375","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-united-states","8":"tag-homepage_regional_middle_east_africa","9":"tag-somalia","10":"tag-u-s-foreign-policy","11":"tag-united-states","12":"tag-us","13":"tag-usa"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/410375","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=410375"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/410375\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/410376"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=410375"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=410375"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=410375"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}