By Black Star News
Photos: YouTube Screenshots
The calls for the breakaway region of Somaliland to be recognized as a country separate from Somalia is growing, particularly after US Senator Ted Cruz asked Donald Trump to do so.
Cruz claims that a recognized Somaliland may help “America advance our national security interests in the Horn of Africa and beyond.” The breakaway region declared independence back in 1991, but it has not been recognized by the global community. Cruz, who is the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Africa, also said, Somaliland is now a “critical security and diplomatic partner.”
In July, Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi said his government is willing to provide the US with a military base near the entrance of the Red Sea, along with a deal for critical minerals, in a deal for state recognition. “Somaliland is located in a very strategic location, it has 850KM [528 miles] of sea shore in the Gulf of Aden,” Abdullahi,
Reportedly, Trump is said to been looking into recognizing Somaliland–and wants them to take in Palestinian refugees, who are facing an ongoing genocide, by the hands of Israel. In a letter, Cruz said, Somaliland has “sought to strengthen ties with Israel, and voiced support for the Abraham Accords.”
Trump’s remarks have been well received by the Somaliland government which referenced the breakaway state’s “34-year history of upholding peace, democratic governance, and sustainable development.”
Analysts think the critical minerals offer will attract Trump, since his administration recently made a similar minerals deal with DR Congo, in a brokered peace agreement with Rwanda, to stop the fighting between the Rwanda-aligned M23 rebels and the DR Congo government.
For years, Somaliland has been seeking international recognition. Recently, Somaliland tried to reach a deal with Ethiopia that would have given the landlocked nation access to Somaliland’s ports. But Somalia, which considers Somaliland part of its territory, opposed the proposal. Tensions arose between Somalia and Ethiopia but are on the mend, especially after the Ethiopia-Somaliland plan was squashed.
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