Somalia offers US control over ports to block Somaliland recognition
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The Somali government's offer appears to be a strategic response to growing signs that the United States may move toward recognizing Somaliland.
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In this Sunday, April 1, 2018 photo, containers are loaded onto a cargo ship at the Port of Berbera, run by DP World, which is majority-owned by the Dubai government in the UAE, in Berbera, Somaliland, Somalia. (AP)
In a move to defend its territorial integrity and push back against foreign-engineered fragmentation, Somalia has reportedly offered the US exclusive control over key ports and airbases located in Somaliland and Puntland.
According to Semafor, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud sent a letter to US President Donald Trump on March 16, offering Washington "exclusive operational control" over the Berbera port and airbase in Somaliland and the Bosaso port and airbase in Puntland.
Both facilities are strategically located along the Gulf of Aden, a maritime corridor of immense geopolitical value. Notably, the Somali federal government currently lacks de facto control over these sites.
Recognition Bargain
The Somali government's offer appears to be a strategic response to growing signs that the United States may move toward recognizing Somaliland.
Media reports in March indicated that Washington has been in talks with Somaliland leadership, exploring what could be exchanged for such recognition—including the forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza.
Somali Foreign Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi has previously declared that Somalia would categorically reject "any proposal or initiative, from any party, that would undermine the Palestinian people's right to live peacefully on their ancestral land."
Somaliland also denied being involved in such discussions. Its Foreign Minister, Abdirahman Dahir Adan, noted that the region's pursuit of recognition was grounded in its political history and self-governance—not in any quid pro quo involving the displacement of Palestinians.
Read more: US, 'Israel' considering Syria, Somalia, Sudan for Gaza resettlement
Since the collapse of Siad Barre's government in 1991, Somalia has operated under a fractured political system.
While the internationally recognized federal government is based in Mogadishu, large parts of the country are controlled by autonomous regional authorities or armed factions.
Somaliland, which declared independence in 1991, has maintained its own government and military, though no country has recognized it as a sovereign state.
