Hands Off Berbera: Why international community should oppose Somalia’s air base offer to U.S., support Somaliland’s quest for independence
Recent reporting by Reuters indicates Somalia’s willingness to grant the United States “exclusive control of strategic air bases and ports.” According to the article, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, in a letter dated March 16 and addressed to former U.S. President Donald Trump, outlined this offer. Authenticated by a regional diplomat with knowledge of the matter, as reported by Reuters, the letter identifies assets including the Balidogle and Berbera air bases, as well as the ports of Berbera and Bosaso.
However, Somaliland has rejected an attempt by the federal government of Somalia to give the US exclusive control of a port and airbase in Berbera. According to the BBC, Somaliland’s Foreign Affairs Minister Abdirahman Dahir Aden dismissed the move as “desperate.”
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s letter to Washington reads like a desperate plea for relevance. By attempting to insert Somalia into a discussion about Somaliland’s strategic Berbera Port, Mogadishu exposes its own weakness.
For more than three decades, Somaliland has stood as a beacon of stability in a volatile region. Unlike Somalia, which has been marred by internal conflict and terrorist insurgencies, Somaliland has maintained peace, held multiple democratic elections, and fostered economic growth. These facts are irrefutable, no matter how much Mogadishu tries to distort them
