by ANN GARRISON & DR. ABDIWAHAB SHEIKH ABDISAMAD
Somaliland is pinning its hopes of recognition as an independent state on Donald Trump, and Trump has suggested that the breakaway state accept Palestinians exiled from Gaza.
Somaliland declared its independence from Somalia in May 1991, and has unsuccessfully battled for recognition ever since. Now, almost 34 years later, Taiwan remains the only government that recognizes Somaliland, and only 12 minor states, including a handful of South Sea islands, recognize Taiwan.
Somalia opposes the independence of its breakaway state, and it now holds one of the non-permanent seats on the UN Security Council for the 2025-26 term. The UN General Assembly votes on whether or not to grant statehood if the Security Council recommends it.
Recognition by powerful nations, however, can greatly add to an aspirant’s argument for UN recognition, and Somalilanders are pinning their hopes on Donald Trump, who has suggested that they accept some of the 2.2 million Palestinians he proposes to exile from Gaza.
Now right-wing Republicans are lobbying Donald Trump to recognize Somaliland as a state independent of Somalia because of its strategic coastline on the Gulf of Aden in the Red Sea region, an ideal location for a US military base. In October 2024, long before Trump proposed exiling Palestinians to Somaliland, Michael Rubin of the far right-wing American Enterprise Institute argued that Somalilanders deserve a state more than Palestinians do.
On December 12, 2024, Perry Scott, a House Republican from Pennsylvania, introduced H.R.10402 – Republic of Somaliland Independence Act , which proposes that “all territorial claims by the Federal Republic of Somalia over the area known as Somaliland are invalid and without merit,” and “the President is authorized to recognize Somaliland of the Federal Republic of Somalia as a separate, independent country.” The bill has been referred to the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
I spoke to Somali Kenyan scholar Abdiwahab Sheikh Abdisamad about the dynamics of the Somaliland statehood struggle.
ANN GARRISON: First, what do you think of Trump’s proposal to exile Palestinians to both Somaliland and/or Puntland, Somalia’s other breakaway state? Though not stated outright, this seems to be a proposed transaction in exchange for state recognition. Puntland has already said no, but Somaliland remains silent.
ABDIWAHAB SHEIKH ABDISAMAD: First of all, the proposal to exile millions of Palestinians from their land is wrong. It’s ethnic cleansing, and Puntland’s government is right to say that they will not collaborate in this. Somaliland seems to be silent because they don’t want to displease Donald Trump, whom they are counting on to recognize them as an independent state.
However, Somaliland will not accept millions or even hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees, as that would cause a significant demographic shift in a population of six million. Such a large, educated population could overwhelm Somaliland.
AG: Right-wing Republicans are pressuring Trump to recognize Somaliland, and it has long been a project of the right-wing Heritage Foundation, which included recognition of Somaliland among their Project 2025 proposals for the Trump Administration. In a section on “countering malign Chinese influence” on the African continent, it recommends “recognition of Somaliland statehood as a hedge against the U.S.’s deteriorating position in Djibouti,” the tiny country of 1 million people neighboring Somaliland.
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