U.S. Senator Ted Cruz said he held a productive meeting with Somaliland’s President, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro, in which they discussed strengthening ties and cooperation between the United States and Somaliland.
Cruz said Somaliland has shown itself to be an important partner working with the U.S. on issues including security, counterterrorism, and protection of shipping passing through the waterways and coastlines near the Horn of Africa.
The senator also indicated that he wants Washington to assess its relationship with Somaliland on its own terms, rather than applying to Somaliland the same policies and guidance set for Somalia.
Ted Cruz has long supported U.S. recognition of Somaliland. In August 2025, he sent a letter to President Donald Trump requesting that the U.S. formally recognize Somaliland as an independent country.
In that letter, he said Somaliland is important to U.S. security interests, particularly given its location on the Gulf of Aden and international shipping routes.
Cruz also argued that U.S.-Somaliland cooperation could extend to security, counterterrorism, trade, and military cooperation.
The latest matter on which Cruz has formally pressed the U.S. State Department is a separate travel advisory for Somaliland.
On July 29, 2026, Cruz sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, stating that the U.S. travel advisory for Somalia applies the same warning level to Somaliland, and requesting that Somaliland’s situation be assessed separately.
This move shows that Cruz wants U.S. policy toward Somaliland and Somalia to be viewed separately when discussing the security situation and travel.
On Somaliland’s side, Cruz’s remarks matter to Hargeisa’s efforts to secure support from Washington.
Somaliland has long sought international recognition, and Cruz has previously been among the U.S. politicians who have openly called on Washington to recognize Somaliland’s independence.
However, the senator’s remarks or support alone do