Somaliland has offered the United States exclusive access to its mineral resources and potential military bases as it intensifies efforts to secure international recognition.
Khadar Hussein Abdi, the territory’s minister of the presidency, told AFP on Saturday that Somaliland is open to granting Washington preferential mining rights and hosting US military facilities.
“We are willing to give exclusive access to our minerals to the United States. Also, we are open to offering military bases,” he said, expressing optimism about reaching an agreement.
Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 but remains unrecognised by Mogadishu, which considers it part of its sovereign territory despite the region operating its own government, currency and security forces.
In December, Israel became the first country to formally recognise Somaliland’s independence. President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi has recently floated granting Israel privileged access to mineral resources, while Abdi said a potential Israeli military presence could not be ruled out.
Situated along the strategic Gulf of Aden, opposite Yemen, Somaliland claims deposits of lithium and coltan, though comprehensive independent assessments of the resources remain limited.
