Somali president proposes deal to US

(MENAFN) The United States may be preparing to expand its military presence in the Horn of Africa after Somalia’s federal government offered control of key infrastructure in two breakaway regions. In a letter leaked in March 2025, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud proposed granting the US exclusive access to two airbases—Balidogle and Berbera—and two ports—Bosaso and Berbera.

All four sites lie within Puntland and Somaliland, two autonomous regions that operate largely outside Mogadishu’s control. While Puntland maintains nominal ties with Somalia’s central government, Somaliland has functioned as a self-declared independent state since 1991—though it remains unrecognized internationally.

President Mohamud's proposal aims to strengthen US logistical capabilities and military operations in the region, particularly in the ongoing fight against Al-Shabaab, an al-Qaeda-linked militant group that has recently escalated attacks across Somalia. The letter to US President Donald Trump emphasized the importance of the facilities in securing strategic corridors and countering “external competitors.”

The Somali government also warned of growing connections between Al-Shabaab and Yemen’s Ansar Allah movement, commonly known as the Houthis, with officials alleging intercepted arms shipments—including drones and explosives—originating from Yemen.

However, Somaliland’s leadership has sharply rejected the proposal. Foreign Minister Abdirahman Dahir Aden criticized the Somali government’s move as a “desperate” bid to assert global relevance and asserted that only Somaliland has legitimate authority over Berbera. “The USA is not stupid. They know who they need to deal with when it comes to Berbera port,” Aden told Reuters.

The offer came amid reports that Washington was already engaged in parallel negotiations with Somaliland’s government to possibly recognize its independence in exchange for a U.S. military base near Berbera. According to a financial news agency, these talks may also be tied to a controversial Trump plan to resettle displaced Palestinians from Gaza to East African countries, part of a broader proposal to remake Gaza into a “Middle Eastern Riviera.”

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