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Somaliland, a self-governing region within Somalia, will be much closer to being recognized by the United States as the world’s newest country when Donald Trump returns to the White House in January.
Support for the region has grown strong among Republican US-Africa policy leaders on Capitol Hill and likely Africa advisors of Trump’s incoming White House. Many of these people told Semafor Africa they would encourage Trump to recognize Somaliland, “even if it wasn’t on Day One.”
Recognizing Somaliland could enable US intelligence to set up long term operations to monitor the movement of weapons in the volatile region and the activities of China, which has a military base in neighboring Djibouti.
Last month the territory held its sixth successful election since reclaiming independence from Somalia in 1991. Peter Pham, a former Africa envoy in Trump’s first term, said Somaliland’s democratic process had “demonstrated its attractiveness as a partner for the United States and other countries.”
