Somaliland Courts U.S. for Independence Recognition

But Somaliland’s pitch for independence could become more attractive in the coming years. Instability and widespread unrest have rocked Sudan and South Sudan. Ethiopia continues to wage a costly war against breakaway forces from its Tigray region. Somalia is still wracked by terrorism, and the federal government has fragile control over its own territory. But Somaliland, independent experts say, stands in sharp contrast to this and remains relatively stable and secure while maintaining regular election cycles.

The United States’ only permanent military base in the region is in Djibouti, neighboring Somalia on the strategically important choke point between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. However, Djibouti also hosts a Chinese military base and is unnerving U.S. policymakers with deepening ties to Beijing. Another point in Somaliland’s favor, regional experts say, is its tradition of holding regular elections, in contrast with Somalia, where the government has been criticized by the United States and other countries for delaying long-planned elections.

“Their idea is that there would be a democratic partner in that region that would be willing to serve as another base for the U.S. or partner in our security interests,” Hudson said.

Their arguments are taking root in some policy circles within Washington. Kevin Roberts, the president of the Heritage Foundation, an influential conservative think tank, said the United States “should proudly be the first state to recognize Somaliland as an independent state” at an event with Bihi in Washington during his visit.

As part of their pitch, the Somaliland officials reiterated offers to support a U.S. military footprint or bases on Somaliland soil in exchange for a recognition of independence and highlighted deepening ties between their government and Taiwan, an independently governed democracy that China views as part of its own territory.

The lobbying efforts by Somaliland’s top officials offer a small window into how foreign dignitaries are working to advance their interests in Washington amid the growing great-power rivalry between the United States and China.

Somaliland officials, as well as U.S. lawmakers, played up the growing ties between Somaliland and Taiwan during their visit to Washington—a trend that has angered both Somalia and China. While the United States doesn’t have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, as part of the long-standing “One China” policy that only recognizes Beijing’s government, the Biden administration and U.S. lawmakers are working to strengthen Washington’s informal ties with Taiwan and increase support for the dwindling handful of countries around the world that have spurned pressure from Beijing to maintain formal diplomatic relations with the island.

“There are similarities in terms of values and democracy and elections and human rights between Somaliland and Taiwan,” said Kayd, when asked about the matter. “On the other hand, Somaliland is ready to engage with everyone—as long as our sovereignty is respected and as long as there [are] no strings attached to our political views.”

The Somaliland officials’ visit also sheds light on the more active role Congress is playing in pushing the Biden administration to rethink traditional U.S. policy in East Africa and the careful balancing act the State Department is attempting as it responds to growing calls to engage Somaliland without recognizing the region’s independence and alienating Somalia’s federal government.

The State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs tweeted on March 14 that it welcomed discussions with Bihi (though it appeared to mistakenly tag a parody Twitter account of Somaliland’s president in the tweet) on “strengthening U.S. engagement with Somaliland.” But the State Department said it was doing so “within the framework of our single Somalia policy,” an apparently new phrase meant to underscore that the United States had no plans to recognize Somaliland’s independence.

U.S. lawmakers put out different signals that indicated they were much more eager to engage Somaliland—though nearly all stopped short of backing the region’s independence.

“We’re here to engage both parties, both Democrats and Republicans,” Kayd said. “We are a country who has values similar to the one that America has, standing for democracy, free and fair elections, and defend[ing] our country from piracy and also from terrorists.”

Sen. Jim Risch, the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, as well as Sens. Chris Van Hollen and Mike Rounds, the chair and ranking member respectively of the panel’s Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy, introduced a bill formalizing that effort during the Somaliland delegation’s visit to Washington.

The bill includes a provision that would require the State Department to report to Congress annually about the status of U.S. aid to and actions in Somaliland for the next five years—with a stipulation that the United States would do so without recognizing the region’s independence.

A group of lawmakers led by Rep. Michael McCaul, the ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, wrote a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging the Biden administration to deepen ties with Somaliland, citing its ties with Taiwan and its potential to serve as a “counterweight” to China’s increased economic investment and military buildup in neighboring Djibouti.