Somaliland administration has rejected the Somali federal government’s reported offer of the strategic Berbera port to the United States, dismissing the move as a “desperate and meaningless attempt” to derail Somaliland’s push for international recognition.
Somaliland’s Foreign Minister Abdirahman Dahir Aden denounced the offer as an act of political desperation by Mogadishu.
“This is a desperate and pointless attempt by the failed Somali government,” Aden said in a statement. “It reflects the behavior of a corrupt regime in its final throes—engaging in a suicidal operation. There is nothing Mogadishu can do to stop Somaliland’s recognition.”
The reaction follows reports that Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud offered U.S President Donald Trump exclusive operational access to key strategic assets in a March 16 letter, including air bases in Balidogle and Berbera, and ports in Berbera and Bosaso.
Somaliland’s representative to the United States, Ambassador Bashir Good, also dismissed Mogadishu’s offer, stating that Berbera is not under Somalia’s jurisdiction.
“Berbera is in a neighboring country—Somaliland—not Somalia,” said Ambassador Good. “U.S. law now requires direct engagement with Somaliland, making a third party unnecessary.”
Good added that Somaliland and the United States are actively exploring cooperation on Berbera’s development. He noted that multiple delegations from U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) have visited the port to evaluate its strategic potential.
Somalia’s central government, which opposes any move toward recognizing Somaliland as an independent state, has long insisted that the country’s unity and territorial integrity are non-negotiable. However, tensions have escalated amid increasing foreign interest in Somaliland’s strategic location on the Gulf of Aden and its growing diplomatic outreach.
Berbera, which hosts a UAE-operated military facility and a DP World-managed commercial port, has become a geopolitical flashpoint in recent years as Somaliland deepens ties with international actors—most notably Ethiopia and Taiwan.
Somaliland, which declared independence from Somalia in 1991, continues to seek international recognition. Somalia, meanwhile, maintains that Somaliland remains an integral part of its territory.
