Cruz says Somalia ambassador confirmation depends on Somaliland recognition

MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Senator Ted Cruz has said he will condition his support for the confirmation of President Donald Trump’s nominee for US ambassador to Somalia on the State Department formally recognising Somaliland.

At a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Tuesday, the Texas Republican questioned Devin Kennington, nominated to serve as ambassador to Somalia. Mr Cruz focused on President Trump’s description of Somaliland as “a totally different country” from Somalia and pressed the nominee on whether the administration would align policy with that view.

Questions on Trump’s remarks and US policy

Mr Cruz highlighted Somaliland’s self-governance since 1991, its record of multi-party elections and peaceful transfers of power, its location along the Gulf of Aden near major shipping routes, and its diplomatic ties with Taiwan and Israel. Israel recognised Somaliland as independent in December 2025.

He asked Mr Kennington whether he agreed with the president’s characterisation. The nominee replied that conditions on the ground were clearly different in Somaliland compared with the rest of Somalia and that the administration had an interest in deeper engagement with the authorities in Hargeisa for security, commercial and regional reasons. He did not endorse formal recognition and restated that current US policy recognises Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, including over Somaliland.

“I think President Trump is exactly right. Somaliland is not Somalia,” Mr Cruz said. “The president has made his position clear, and I believe it is time for the United States to formally recognise Somaliland.”

He then asked what was preventing the State Department from moving forward with recognition and told the nominee that confirmation would depend on the department following the president’s guidance.

Cruz’s long-standing position

Mr Cruz has advocated US recognition of Somaliland for several years. In August 2025 he wrote to President Trump urging formal recognition, citing Somaliland’s stability, democratic practices and willingness to cooperate on counter-terrorism and maritime security. He met Somaliland’s president in Washington in September 2026.

Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 following the collapse of the central government and has since maintained its own elected government, security forces and institutions. It is not widely recognised internationally. The United States treats it as part of Somalia while maintaining limited contacts with its authorities. Somalia’s federal government continues to assert sovereignty over the territory.

Strategic context in the Horn of Africa

Somaliland’s coastline on the Gulf of Aden places it near one of the world’s busiest maritime corridors. Supporters of closer US engagement, including Mr Cruz, have pointed to its role in anti-piracy and counter-terrorism efforts and its relations with partners such as Taiwan. The US State Department has not altered its formal position that Somaliland remains part of Somalia.

The hearing took place as the Senate considers multiple ambassadorial nominations. No date has been set for a committee vote on Mr Kennington’s nomination. The State Department has not publicly commented on Mr Cruz’s remarks.

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