Somalia warns U.S. partition would reignite deadly conflict

[Deeq A.]

WASHINGTON, DC — Somalia’s ambassador to the United States cautioned that recognizing the breakaway region of Somaliland would breach international norms and undercut counterterrorism cooperation, as a small but vocal group of US lawmakers presses the White House to shift policy.

“Somalia is a sovereign state … its borders are internationally recognized and protected under international law,” Ambassador Dahir Hassan Abdi said in an op-ed.

“Proposals to partition Somalia … threaten to destabilize not only Somalia but the wider continent.” He argued that grievances in the north are political and “can be resolved within a united Somali framework.”

A push to recognize Somaliland

The remarks come after Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) urged President Donald Trump in an Aug 14 letter to “formally recognize the Republic of Somaliland as an independent state, with sovereignty within its 1960 borders.”

Cruz framed Somaliland as a “critical security and diplomatic partner” along the Gulf of Aden. His office released the letter and a summary last week.

In the House, H.R. 3992 — the “Republic of Somaliland Independence Act” — was introduced on Jun 12 and referred to the Foreign Affairs Committee; it would authorize the president to recognize Somaliland as a separate country. The bill has not advanced beyond introduction.  

Despite congressional pressure, Washington’s stated policy has continued to affirm Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity — a position reiterated by the so-called Somalia Quint (the US, UK, EU, Qatar, and Türkiye) in October 2024, and reflected in US statements welcoming a Turkish-brokered Ankara Declaration between Somalia and Ethiopia in December 2024.

Federalism and Las Anod fallout

Abdi said Somalia is often miscast as a case of contested nationhood. “Somalia is one of the few countries where citizens share a common language, religion and culture,” he wrote, insisting that federalism offers “wide autonomy, accountability and self-governance without sacrificing national unity.”

His comments follow Mogadishu’s April recognition of SSC-Khaatumo — an administration centered on the Sool and Sanaag areas around Las Anod — as a federal entity, and subsequent moves by local delegates in July to formalize a North Eastern State based in Las Anod.  

Fighting around Las Anod in 2023 displaced close to 200,000 people, according to UN briefings and humanitarian partners — a conflict that dented Somaliland’s recognition bid and sharpened local opposition to rule from Hargeisa. 

“Somaliland is not monolithic,” Abdi argued, saying communities across Awdal, Sool, and Sanaag have consistently opposed secession. He welcomed recent reconciliation steps by the federal government and said grievances should be addressed by “dialogue, not division.”

Security stakes for Washington

Abdi warned that endorsing a split would “fracture” joint security operations, “complicate intelligence sharing, and weaken the Somali National Army” as it battles al-Shabaab and a local branch of ISIS. He said that “in 2025 alone, Somali and US forces carried out dozens of successful operations.” 

US involvement remains central to Somalia’s security landscape. In March, Reuters reported a letter from President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud proposing to grant the United States exclusive control over strategic air bases and ports — including facilities at Balidogle and Berbera — to bolster counterterrorism and logistics in the Horn of Africa.

Berbera lies in Somaliland, underscoring the political sensitivities around basing and access.  

Abdi said he welcomed a recent statement by the US president reaffirming support for Somalia’s unity and warning against actors seeking to destabilize the region. 

What is Somaliland?

Somaliland, a self-governing territory in northwestern Somalia, declared independence in 1991 after the fall of the Siad Barre regime. It has its own institutions, currency, and security forces, and has held multiple elections. No country formally recognizes it, though recent US congressional moves and the territory’s ties with Ethiopia and Taiwan have raised its profile. 

Regional tensions escalated after Ethiopia and Somaliland signed an MoU on January 1, 2024, granting Addis Ababa access to the port of Berbera and reportedly including a pathway to Ethiopian recognition — a deal Somalia condemned as a violation of its sovereignty. Turkey later mediated talks that produced the Ankara Declaration to dial down the dispute and commit to dialogue.  

‘Not yet whole, but healing’

Abdi concluded that partition would “reignite and deepen” conflict and risk emboldening separatist movements elsewhere in Africa. “Somalia is not yet whole, but it is healing,” he wrote.

“The path forward lies not in fragmentation, but in strengthening the institutions of unity. Borders alone cannot secure peace — only Somalis, working together, can.”