HARGEISA (Kaab TV) – A high-level United States military and diplomatic delegation arrived in Hargeisa on Wednesday, signalling Washington’s growing interest in deepening security cooperation with Somaliland due to its strategic location along the Red Sea.
The delegation was led by General Dagvin Anderson, Commander of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), and Ambassador Justin Davis, Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy.
Their visit was described as “strategic,” as U.S. officials increasingly view Somaliland as a potential partner in safeguarding Red Sea and Horn of Africa security.
General Anderson emphasized Somaliland’s importance, noting its position near key maritime routes.
He highlighted that closer collaboration would support broader regional stability efforts.
According to a statement from the Somaliland presidency, President Abdirahman Abdillahi Irro told the delegation that Somaliland is prepared to “fully cooperate with the U.S. Government to strengthen regional security and enhance the prevention of growing threats,” including major-power competition in the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea, as well as the activities of destabilizing armed groups.
After meeting with President Irro in Hargeisa, the U.S. delegation inspected Berbera Airport, Berbera International Port, and the coastal areas around the port city.
Despite operating as a de facto independent state for more than three decades, Somaliland remains internationally unrecognized.
Washington has long viewed access to Berbera as strategically valuable, particularly amid concerns about Chinese intelligence activities in Djibouti, where the U.S. maintains its only permanent military base in Africa.
Somaliland has repeatedly invited the U.S. to establish a presence at the Berbera military base in hopes of strengthening ties and advancing its push for international recognition.
Wednesday’s statement from Hargeisa reiterated that link.
“The President of Somaliland noted that the security and strategic interests of the United States in East Africa are genuinely tied to the recognition of Somaliland, given that Somaliland is a country with a functioning democratic system, national forces that have secured its borders for more than 30 years, and a location vital to the American strategy of regional stability,” the presidency said.