Ted Cruz Misinformed About U.S. Position on Somalia’s Sovereignty

[Deeq A.]

Ted Cruz did not consult The World Factbook: Somalia (updated 20 August 2025), which refers to the Somaliland Administration as “the self-declared Republic of Somaliland in north-western Somalia.”

Mogadishu (PP Editorial) — In August 2025, Senator Ted Cruz called on President Donald Trump to recognise the Somaliland Administration, a secessionist entity in northern Somalia.

“I write to urge your Administration to formally recognize the ‘Republic of Somaliland’ as an independent state, with sovereignty within its 1960 borders,” Cruz wrote.

Yet, in 2016, Cruz himself had described Trump, then a presidential candidate, as “a pathological liar,” “utterly amoral,” “a narcissist at a level I don’t think this country’s ever seen,”and “a serial philanderer.”

Cruz did not consult The World Factbook: Somalia (updated 20 August 2025), which refers to the Somaliland Administration as “the self-declared Republic of Somaliland in north-western Somalia.”

Cruz appeared to assume that the United States could redraw maps in Africa just as European colonialists once did before the formation of the African Union. However, when Ethiopia signed an illegal maritime Memorandum of Understanding with the Somaliland Administration in 2024, the U.S. response was unambiguous: “The United States recognizes the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia within its 1960 borders.”

The Federal Republic of Somalia is a member of the United Nations, the African Union and the Arab League. Its sovereignty and territorial integrity are fully protected under international law. Despite advocating for Somalia’s break-up, Cruz  echoed the official U.S. position affirming Somalia’s sovereignty.

Cruz has also promoted the conspiracy theory that “Joe Biden’s victory was unfair and that the 2020 election was rigged.”

In 2020, Taiwan opened an office in Hargeisa, in violation of Somalia’s One-China policy, which has long been a key pillar of Somali foreign policy. It is striking that Taiwan, Cruz, and Somali secessionists share a rejectionist stance similar to that of Al-Shabaab, a terrorist organisation that denies Somalia’s sovereignty and brands the Federal Government as an apostate entity.

Senator Cruz’s misinformed advocacy symbolises not strength but the decline of America’s credibility as a superpower and as a promoter of a rules-based international order. Cruz would like President Trump to emulate Putin’s disregard for the UN Charter provisions against aggression. President Trump may not wish to be branded an aggressor by the United Nations, the African Union or other multilateral organisations.

© Puntland Post, 2025

The post Ted Cruz Misinformed About U.S. Position on Somalia’s Sovereignty appeared first on Puntland Post.