Somaliland President Seeks U.S. Recognition. Offers Access To Mineral And Port Resources

By Semafor Africa Photos: Wikimedia Commons Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, or “Irro,” is putting almost everything on the table in his campaign for US recognition, offering Washington access to a strategically located port and mineral resources while leaving open the potential for expanded military access. “We are not giving anything for free,” Irro told Semafor in Washington, “We have to offer something. And we expect the other partner [to have] the same or equal opportunities.” Recognition is the prize: Israel’s recognition of Somaliland in December, the first by a UN member state, has given Irro’s campaign new momentum. But he said economic cooperation, trade, and investment could proceed in parallel. The US already has a military relationship with Somaliland, including training and security cooperation, but no base there; Irro said he would “not rule out” a base agreement if Somaliland got greater security support in return. Irro, who is headed to New York for the UN General Assembly next week, called the US the “big fish” Somaliland wants to pursue. His pitch to US President Donald Trump is unusually personal: Somaliland could name its main airport after him, Irro suggested, or invite him to build a Trump Tower. Read more on how Somaliland sees its relationship with China and Taiwan. →