US Somaliland relations grow closer since Somaliland resists Chinese influence in the horn

[Khalid Ali]

Somaliland offers to resist growing Chinese influence in Africa as it seeks US recognition
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Saturday January 15, 2022
By Jevans Nyabiage



The territory, which split from Somalia 30 years ago and has growing links with Taiwan, is trying to win diplomatic support in Washington

Somaliland offers to resist growing Chinese influence in Africa as it seeks US recognition
The self-declared state of Somaliland is seeking US recognition as it pitches itself as a counterweight to Chinese influence in the Horn of Africa. There have been growing calls for Washington to set up a representative office in Somaliland, which welcomed a congressional staff delegation to its capital Hargeisa in mid-December. Diplomats and observers have said that in return for opening a diplomatic office, or formal diplomatic recognition, the port of Berbera could help the United States diversify away from neighbouring Djibouti, where China has a military base and has funded and built ports and free-trade zones. President Musa Bihi Abdi said at the time of the US fact-finding mission, mostly composed of Republican staff, that Somaliland was committed to working with democratic nations such as the US.

"We profoundly discussed Somaliland-US relations, stability, development, vibrant democracies and elections,” Abdi said.

The visit came a month after Somaliland Foreign Minister Essa Kayd Mohamoud and special envoy Edna Adan Ismail led a delegation to meet Washington officials.


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Besides making a case for recognition, the delegation wanted Washington to remove it from its inclusion in the State Department’s “Level 4: Do not travel” classification for Somalia, citing harm to its economy.

In return for recognition, Somaliland has welcomed investment from American business and also promised Washington that it will resist Chinese influence in the Horn of Africa. Bashir Goth, head of mission in Washington told Politico that the delegation had gone to the US “to show we have the same enemy and our long-term strategy is to be closer to democratic and market economies like the US”. He also said: “We are countering China and Chinese influence in Africa and we ask for US help.”

Taiwan, which China considers as a breakaway province, opened a representative office in Hargeisa in August 2020. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen described it “an important milestone for the Taiwan-Somaliland partnership”, but the move drew strong protests from Beijing. Djibouti, Ethiopia and Turkey have consulates in Hargeisa while Denmark, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Kenya and the European Union all have offices there as well. Although Somaliland split from Somalia 30 years ago, it lacks international recognition and has set up representative offices in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sweden, the UAE, Britain and the US in a bid to win international support.

Analysts say that as China increases its presence in the Horn of Africa – especially Djibouti, where it has funded and built ports and free-trade zones, as well as established its first overseas naval base – the US could use Berbera, a port on the Gulf of Aden, to diversify away from Djibouti. Although the US has a military base in Djibouti, recognising Somaliland would bring “significant” benefits “starting with allowing Washington to diversify away from Djibouti, a country on which it is overly reliant and that is increasingly under Chinese influence”, according to a report last year by Joshua Meservey, a senior policy analyst for Africa and the Middle East at the Heritage Foundation think tank.

Meservey argued that Beijing’s “unparalleled influence in [Djibouti] has already impeded American operations – and positions China to shut down US activity in the case of a confrontation between the two countries”.

Analysts and former US diplomats have said it is time to recognise Somaliland. Robert O’Brien, the former US national security adviser, said recognising Somaliland as an independent country “is a key step in stemming the Chinese Communist Party’s rising tide on the continent and would show other nations that there is an alternative to China’s Belt and Road Initiative in East Africa and around the world”. “When a free and developing nation stands up to China and rejects its tainted aid, the United States should make every effort to help it succeed, particularly when in a strategically vital region. Somaliland is one such country and deserves both US recognition and assistance,” he said.

Guled Ahmed, a non-resident scholar at the Middle East Institute, said the recent developments “show a new US Horn of Africa geopolitical momentum building that could lead to at least the US government opening a diplomatic office in Hargeisa”.

He said the US could be eyeing maritime development and a security partnership in the Gulf of Aden and perhaps recognition in near future. Somaliland has already signed oil exploration development with Genel Energy and Taiwan CPC Corporation via a public-private partnership.

"US companies will likely follow suit since US oil companies formally own drilling rights of some of Somaliland’s oil blocks,” Ahmed said. Ahmed said that from China’s point of view, “Somaliland recognising or having diplomatic relations with Taiwan is a threat to its maritime silk road and Belt and Road Initiative, and it will disrupt its illegal fishing activities within the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean”. The Chinese ambassador to Somalia, Fei Shengchao, has dismissed reports that Chinese companies were engaged in illegal fishing in Somali territorial waters, adding that China fully respects the country’s sovereignty.

"Fishing cooperation is based on mutual agreement. It contributes millions of dollars to Somalia with no strings at all. There are those who don’t want to see a penny paid to Somalia and keep muddying the water to ‘fish’ for themselves,” Fei tweeted on December 27. Yun Sun, director of the China programme at the Stimson ­Centre in Washington, said “the voice that calls for recognition is higher than before”. But she said the reason for Somaliland and Taiwan’s current relationship was their respective lack of international recognition. “If the US recognises Somaliland, more countries will follow suit,” Sun said.

“I doubt China will reject the idea. And if China is willing to extend diplomatic recognition of Somaliland, what leverage does Taiwan still have?”

However, the US policy had been to follow the lead of the African Union, which up to this point had not favoured recognition of Somaliland as an independent country, said David Shinn, a ­former US diplomat in Ethiopia and professor at George Washington University. “It treats Somaliland as part of Somalia. While there is considerable sympathy for Somaliland in the United States, I am not aware there is any intention to change US policy on this matter,” Shinn said.

"There probably are some members of Congress that favour recognition of Somaliland, but this is a decision made by the executive branch. “So long as Somaliland is not recognised by any country, this is not a major issue. If Somaliland were to receive diplomatic recognition from a number of countries, China would be concerned that Somaliland might officially recognise Taiwan. China would react badly to such a development.

[TarTar]

America coming around to giving unofficial defacto recognition. somaliland need to run a political influence operation in the ex italian colony for de jure recognition. if somaliland talk to otha countries n all tha otha neighbors of the ex italian colony r already intervening in the ex italian colony then why won't somaliland engage the ex italian colony

[theyuusuf143]

Chinaw na jiidh indr na jiidh. Ilaaha china cadaw nooga dhigaa mahadsan. Chinese Ka waynu kusoo shaac baxayna

[paperino]

Governor Muuse Biixi probably went to the US for medical treatment. He wasn't invited officially or unofficially, as he has not much to offer in exchange for ictiraaf.

[original dervish]

Every few years for the last three decades the secessionist put out these stories that recognition is just around the next corner.

A few years ago it was Russia that was gonna recognise
sl and establish a military base in Saylac.

Somaliland has reached its apex......it doesnt get any better than this.

[Khalid Ali]

Od the struggle always continues from generation one thing is for sure we shall never be ruled by Mogadishu

Eritrea fought thrity some years South Sudan over fifthy years
Us for the past. 30 years we ruled our land. The recognition is just the ice on top of the cake and it will come we are blessed with retarded cousins the koonfuurians o my they are suffering

[theyuusuf143]

Anagoo Isaaqa in China xurgufi naga dhexayso oo maraykanku na hadal hayaa waa guul weyn oo aanu gaadhnay. Quruumo naga waaweyn baan saamayn intaas gaadhsiisan lahayn. Waxan ciyaari ciyaar kumay iman the first generation of SNM baa sacrifice weyn sameeyey. May God bless them.

[original dervish]

Khalid........no doubt Somaliland is decades ahead of southern Somalia. However, the economy cannot deliver for the majority of the population.

I can't see this changing without official recognition and entry into all the multilateral financial institutions.

I will say this however, sl missed a trick with its huge gold reserves. The govt should form a mining company with experienced professionals and exploit the gold deposits for the benefit of the country. It doesn't cost that much and the mines will pay for themselves in a few years.

[paperino]

Anagoo Isaaqa in China xurgufi naga dhexayso oo maraykanku na hadal hayaa waa guul weyn oo aanu gaadhnay. Quruumo naga waaweyn baan saamayn intaas gaadhsiisan lahayn. Waxan ciyaari ciyaar kumay iman the first generation of SNM baa sacrifice weyn sameeyey. May God bless them.

Your comment doesn't make sense.

[TarTar]

Anagoo Isaaqa in China xurgufi naga dhexayso oo maraykanku na hadal hayaa waa guul weyn oo aanu gaadhnay. Quruumo naga waaweyn baan saamayn intaas gaadhsiisan lahayn. Waxan ciyaari ciyaar kumay iman the first generation of SNM baa sacrifice weyn sameeyey. May God bless them.

Your comment doesn't make sense.

Shina xurgufo. maraykan hadal haya somaliland. Somalilaand managed to anger china. a feat dat ain't bin done by larger nations wit Taiwan relations. n american 2022 defense budget directing they defense minister to find a somaliland strategic defense cooperation program. he gave too much credit to Isak n snm since somaliland is multitribe nation n snm bin disbanded for 30 years.

god bless the 3 soverieng somali nations. especially tha oldest somali sovereign republic. somaliland republic. djibouti n somaliland will help somalia regain it's territory from tha stealh secessionists aran jan n terrorists. n no more Kenya getting paid to occupy the ex italian colonh. but 1st the ex italian colony need to accept dat the ex british protectorate divorced her. 1991. we will free u from al shabab in west Bosaso n ISIL in tha rest of the ex italian colony. insha allah

[theyuusuf143]

Anagoo Isaaqa in China xurgufi naga dhexayso oo maraykanku na hadal hayaa waa guul weyn oo aanu gaadhnay. Quruumo naga waaweyn baan saamayn intaas gaadhsiisan lahayn. Waxan ciyaari ciyaar kumay iman the first generation of SNM baa sacrifice weyn sameeyey. May God bless them.

Your comment doesn't make sense.

It's not supposed to make sense for the faqash any way. You must be in the wrong place .

[paperino]

It's not supposed to make sense for the faqash any way. You must be in the wrong place .

It sounded infantile, that's why it didn't make sense.

[TarTar]

It's not supposed to make sense for the faqash any way. You must be in the wrong place .

It sounded infantile, that's why it didn't make sense.

dude just stop. otha than minimizing tha contribution of non isak tribes, his statement about china n america made sense. u need to relax. wait for somaliland-usa defense partnership to free u from stealth secessionists, al shabab in west bosaso, isis rest of bari, more al shabab in tha rest of the ex italian colony. n Kenyan occupation

mlk jr said

"I tha Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land"

u as a people, the people of walanweyn, shall get to tha promised land of regaining ur sovereignty from stealth secessionists, terrorists, n kenya. n when u do, we can talk about final status referendum n recognition for somaliland

[paperino]

I forgot to mention there's a report of the infamous general Gabre and a number of TPLF officers hiding in Waqooyi Galbeed, with the help of maamulka WG. With the recent rapprochement of Abiy and the US gov, it's no wonder that governor Muuse Biixi is in a difficult situation.

[BigBreak]

I forgot to mention there's a report of the infamous general Gabre and a number of TPLF officers hiding in Waqooyi Galbeed, with the help of maamulka WG. With the recent rapprochement of Abiy and the US gov, it's no wonder that governor Muuse Biixi is in a difficult situation.

Always you write garbage with unbalanced, overzealous emotions.....which doesn't correspond with reality in any way possible