Somaliland’s top diplomat in Washington says formal US recognition would deliver immediate strategic gains for American forces in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Bashir Goth, Somaliland’s representative to the United States, told a recent Foreign Policy Research Institute debate that “If the US recognizes Somaliland, we will automatically join the Abraham Accords.”
Goth, who has represented the Republic of Somaliland in the United States since 2018, described a surge of excitement in Washington since Israel’s December 2025 recognition. “There has been a lot of excitement,” he told Military.com in an exclusive interview. “It was very welcome news to all of those people who support and advocate for Somaliland.”
With Israeli officials visiting Hargeisa last month and Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi preparing for a first-ever trip to Jerusalem, Goth sees the moment as ripe for the United States to move forward.
Recognition has taken on fresh urgency as President Trump considers relocating US troops from alliances and bases that deliver limited returns to locations offering clearer strategic advantages. Somaliland’s stable, self-funded democracy and prime position on the Gulf of Aden make it an ideal candidate for such a pivot, providing basing rights, exclusive mineral access and a reliable counterweight to Chinese, Houthis, or other adversarial influences without the open-ended aid commitments that drain US resources elsewhere in the Horn.
Path to the Abraham Accords
Goth has consistently linked US recognition to deeper security partnerships. Joining the Abraham Accords, he said, would lock in joint efforts against adversarial influence in a region where one-third of global shipping passes through chokepoints Somaliland helps secure.
Military Momentum on the Hill and in the Pentagon
Goth reports strong support from Congress and growing interest inside the Trump administration. “From the Hill we have very good support,” he told Military.com. A recent bill would expand financial access for Somaliland, and recognition is gaining momentum overall. A key concern from the administration, he added, is counterterrorism cooperation.
“The recent war in the Middle East has elevated Somaliland’s strategic importance,” Goth noted. US military engagement has indeed intensified. “U.S. Military interest has been very strong,” he said. “Engagement has increased. Every month, there has been a delegation from AFRICOM to Hargeisa.”
A Self-Reliant Strategic Partner
Somaliland has a long history of independent autonomy from neighboring countries. It has built functioning institutions and modernized the Port of Berbera through private investment.
Goth emphasized Somaliland’s value as a democratic outlier. “We sometimes call ourselves the Taiwan of Africa because we are in a similar position in global politics,” he told Military.com. “Somaliland is the only country in the Horn of Africa that is countering Chinese influence. We are the second country in Africa that has relations with Taiwan.”
On concrete partnership offers, Goth outlined clear priorities. Somaliland could grant the United States exclusive rights to critical minerals, he said, citing recent statements from Somaliland’s president. The military access would also provide an undeniable benefit in a critical strategic location. “The port at Berbera would be all for the United States,” he added.
What Recognition Would Deliver
Formal recognition would open immediate practical doors, Goth said. “It will open up a myriad of arenas,” he explained. “We will have access to financial institutions. Right now, we only run on local revenue. By having recognition, it will open up venues and open up other countries to recognize us.”
He closed with a straightforward assessment of Somaliland’s reliability. “I think Somaliland would be a very reliable partner for the US for security and economic prosperity,” Goth told Military.com. “For example, countering adversaries in the region.”
Goth’s office also pointed to supporting legislation already on the books. Rep. Rose has introduced a bill that would require an annual report on trade and investment barriers facing Somaliland. In addition, elements of the earlier Somaliland Partnership Act, written by Senators Risch, Rounds, and Van Hollen, were incorporated into the National Defense Authorization Act a few years ago; that law marked the first time Somaliland appeared in US legislation and required the State Department and Defense Department to produce annual assessments of US interests and security ties with Somaliland.
For US military planners focused on the Horn of Africa, recognition would convert quiet cooperation into open strategic access at a time when adversaries are expanding footholds. As reported previously in Military.com, the strategic implications of Somaliland recognition extend far beyond diplomacy into the core of US posture in the region.
