The United States should consider formally recognizing the Republic of Somaliland as part of a broader strategy for the Horn of Africa. Recognition would not be a symbolic gesture alone. It could strengthen maritime security, reduce dependence on Djibouti, deepen cooperation with a comparatively stable partner, and create new leverage in competition with China and other regional powers. Any decision should be paired with safeguards for regional diplomacy, but Somaliland’s record and geography make the case increasingly difficult to ignore.

Strategic Geography and Maritime Security

Somaliland occupies more than eight hundred kilometres of coastline along the Gulf of Aden, near the approaches to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. This waterway links the Indian Ocean to the Red Sea and Suez Canal and is vital to global trade. Disruptions caused by piracy, smuggling, regional conflict, or attacks on commercial shipping can rapidly raise freight and insurance costs. A formal U.S.–Somaliland partnership could support maritime surveillance, search-and-rescue operations, counterterrorism, and the protection of shipping lanes.

Berbera as an Operational Hedge

The modernized Port of Berbera and nearby airfield give Somaliland unusual strategic value. Berbera’s deep-water terminal has expanded cargo capacity and can accommodate........

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