The Cold War-era airstrip, its asphalt gleaming in the sunlight, stretched toward the coastline on the Horn of Africa. A few miles away, dock workers unloaded cargo at a port on the Gulf of Aden, a vital global shipping route frequently under attack by Houthi rebels from Yemen.
These two maritime facilities in Berbera city belong to Somaliland, an enclave of about five million people that has functioned independently from Somalia since 1991. Some Somalilanders see the port and the airstrip as the keys to achieving a decades-old ambition: international recognition.
Somaliland has its own currency and passport, as well as control over its foreign and military affairs. It has held several widely praised independent elections. Now, it wants to make a deal with President Trump in which the United States would lease both the port and the airstrip in exchange for long-awaited statehood.
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Gaining an endorsement from the most powerful country in the world, Somalilanders say, would bring global investment and broader diplomatic and security ties. But some analysts fear that recognizing Somaliland could disrupt the region, strengthen groups like Al Shabab and upset close U.S. allies like Egypt, Turkey and the African Union, who fear the move would set a precedent for secessionist movements across Africa.
The timing may be auspicious. The Trump administration is considering closing its embassy in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, citing security risks. Persistent attacks from Houthis have disrupted international shipping, heightening concerns of growing instability in the region. And as the trade war with China heats up, a new U.S. foothold on the continent could help counter Chinese influence.
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