Somaliland is willing to give the United States access to its minerals and military bases, the minister of the presidency has said, as the breakaway region of Somalia pushes for global recognition.
"We are willing to give exclusive [access to our minerals] to the United States. Also, we are open to offer military bases to the United States," Khadar Hussein Abdi, minister of the presidency, told AFP in an interview on Saturday.
"We believe that we will agree on something with the United States."
Somaliland's Ministry of Energy and Minerals say the country's soil is rich in lithium, coltan and other sought-after resources, though independent studies are lacking. In 2024 the Saudi Mining Company Kilomass secured an exploration deal there for lithium and other critical minerals.
Washington already has a naval base in Djibouti, a neighbouring country of Somaliland.
Strategic rapprochement with Israel
In December, Israel became the first country to formally recognise Somaliland as an independent state – which the northern territory has been seeking since declaring its autonomy from Somalia in 1991.
The government in Mogadishu still considers Somaliland an integral part of Somalia even though the territory has run its own affairs since 1991, with its own passports, currency, army and police force.
Earlier this month, Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi said no bilateral economic deal with Israel had yet been reached, but that Somaliland expected to sign "a partnership agreement" offering rights to valuable mineral deposits as part of the deal.
Abdi said he "could not rule out" the possibility of also allowing Israel to set up a military presence in the context of this strategic partnership.
Israel's recognition of Somaliland ‘is not an isolated initiative': expert
Regional instability
Somaliland lies across the Gulf of Aden from Yemen, where Houthi rebels, backed by Iran, have often attacked Israeli assets to show solidarity with Palestinians.
Israeli recognition of Somaliland has prompted threats from the Houthis and al-Qaeda-linked Islamist group al-Shabaab, which has been waging war against the fragile Somali state for 20 years.
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud Israeli recognition as "the greatest violation of Somalia's sovereignty" and a "threat to the security and stability of the world and the region".
The African Union and most Arab countries threw their support behind Somalia and condemned the move.
The US has yet to signal a major shift on the question of Somaliland.
But in August, US President Donald Trump, who had previously lobbed insults at Somalia and President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, suggested he was preparing to move on the issue when asked about Somaliland during a White House news conference.
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(with AFP)
