The News
Calls for the United States to recognize Somaliland as an independent nation gathered steam especially after US Senator Ted Cruz on Thursday called on President Donald Trump to do so.
Cruz, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Africa, said in a letter to the White House that Somaliland had become a “critical security and diplomatic partner” to the US with its strategically located maritime corridors in the Gulf of Aden. “The Chinese Communist Party is using economic and diplomatic coercion to punish Somaliland for its support for Taiwan, as well as to undermine that support,” he wrote. Somaliland broke away from Somalia and declared independence in 1991.
Cruz’s letter comes after Trump recently said his administration was “looking into” the question of recognition for Somaliland, adding, “we’re working on that right now,” remarks that some Somalilanders took as a positive step.
But a person close to the US State Department, who spoke to Semafor on condition of anonymity, said there has been no change in the US policy on Somalia, though it is set for review.
Know More
Supporters of Somaliland have long hoped that the region would gain recognition from the White House under the new Trump administration and become the world’s newest country. Backing for the region has grown stronger among Republican US-Africa policy leaders on Capitol Hill, right-leaning Washington DC think tanks, and Trump Africa policy advisers.
Recognizing Somaliland could enable US intelligence to set up long-term operations to monitor the movement of weapons in a volatile region, allowing it to keep an eye on both Chinese activity and Houthi movements in Yemen. China already has a permanent military base in neighboring Djibouti.
Last November the territory held its sixth successful election since reclaiming independence from Somalia in 1991, bringing opposition leader Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi to office as president. Republicans and other supporters have been encouraged by Somaliland’s democratic strides with a one-person, one-vote system even as conflict-ridden Somalia struggles to organize any elections.
The View From Beijing
The Chinese government issued a sharp rebuke to Cruz’s letter, describing his remarks as “baseless attacks.” The embassy in Mogadishu rejected Cruz’s claim that Beijing is exerting diplomatic and economic pressure on Somaliland in retaliation for its support of Taiwan. “This coercive letter constitutes serious interference in the internal affairs of Somalia and further exposes hegemonic and bullying attitude of certain US politicians to the Somali people.”