In the volatile Horn of Africa, a persistent diplomatic anomaly is gaining fresh attention as Dubai’s global ports giant DP World joins a chorus of U.S. politicians in advocating for international recognition of Somaliland, which has maintained de facto independence from Somalia for three decades.
The campaign, which has drawn support from influential Republicans, including Senator Ted Cruz, represents the most significant push yet to legitimize Somaliland’s statehood, transforming a long-standing regional dispute into a focal point of international security and economic competition.
“Somaliland, we will have it at the end. Very soon, it will be a member of the international club,” Somaliland’s President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdilahi said during The Africa Debate in Dubai, expressing optimism despite the fact that no country has yet been willing to bestow formal recognition on Somaliland.
The Economic Engine
At the heart of Somaliland’s renewed international push lies a substantial economic investment by DP World, which has committed more than $400 million to transforming the port of Berbera into a modern logistics hub since 2016. The company operates the port under a 30-year concession and has increased cargo volumes by 35% and vessel productivity by 300% since taking over management.
Speaking alongside Somaliland’s President, DP World’s Group Chairman and CEO, Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, praised the territory’s “security, stability, and business environment” and made the economic case for recognition.
“Recognition will bring more trade and investment,” bin Sulayem said, adding that many businesses are eager to establish operations there, attracted by mineral assets, agriculture, and livestock, as well as the efficient port and logistics hub that provides quick access to regional markets.
The port expansion includes a new 400-meter berth and three ship gantry cranes with a capacity to handle 500,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) per year, creating an integrated maritime, logistics, and industrial hub modeled on DP World’s flagship Jebel Ali Free Zone in Dubai. The project positions Berbera as an alternative trade route for landlocked Ethiopia, which holds a 19% stake in the port venture, with DP World controlling 51% and Somaliland 30%.
“Located on the Gulf of Aden, Berbera is becoming a vital corridor for East Africa. With a one-kilometer quay, capacity for large vessels, and a Special Economic Zone already supporting exports, the port is connecting Somaliland, Ethiopia, and the wider region to global markets,” bin Sulayem said, adding that “By 2035, Berbera is projected to handle 75 percent of Somaliland’s trade and contribute 27 percent of its GDP. Its impact is already visible, reducing costs, enabling jobs, and expanding logistics capacity.”
The Political Push
Somaliland’s president has embraced the economic argument as key to providing greater opportunities for his people amid high rates of poverty and inequality. In his diplomatic efforts, Abdilahi has emphasized what he describes as Somaliland’s distinct identity from the rest of Somalia, which has been plagued by instability for decades.
He has pointed to his democratic credentials, claiming he is “the only elected Somali leader” — a statement that serves both as a criticism of the unelected leadership in Mogadishu and as an assertion that Somaliland meets the criteria for statehood recognition.
The administration has pursued a proactive diplomatic offensive, with Abdilahi confirming he sent official letters laying out Somaliland’s case for recognition to dozens of countries in May, including Israel, France, the UK, the UAE, and the US. None has formally responded, though the president described recent visits to Djibouti and Kenya as “more encouraging”.
The Security Calculus
In Washington, supporters of Somaliland view the territory as a potential security ally in a strategically vital region. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy, has emerged as a leading advocate, urging the Trump administration to formally recognize Somaliland as an independent state.
“Somaliland has emerged as a critical security and diplomatic partner for the United States, helping America advance our national security interests in the Horn of Africa and beyond,” Cruz wrote in a recent letter to President Trump.
Proponents argue that recognition could allow U.S. intelligence to establish a base to monitor weapons flows, Houthi activity in Yemen, and China’s growing footprint, including its military base in neighboring Djibouti. This security argument has gained urgency as Houthi activity continues to reshape routing, insurance, and naval posture across the Bab al-Mandab strait and the Gulf of Aden.
The geopolitical dimensions extend to great power competition. Cruz highlighted that “The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is using economic and diplomatic coercion to punish Somaliland for its support for Taiwan,” seeing the territory as a potential counter to Chinese influence in the region.
An Uncertain Future
Despite the mounting international attention, the path to recognition remains uncertain. The State Department has previously reaffirmed support for Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and a recognition move would represent a significant rupture with established U.S. policy.
Some analysts suggest the U.S. could secure its strategic objectives without formal recognition. “The infrastructure and commercial platform already exist under DP World’s Berbera Port and Berbera Economic Zone, which provide a ready channel for U.S. commercial pre-positioning and quiet government-to-government arrangements that fall short of diplomatic recognition,” noted one analysis.
For Somaliland’s government and its commercial backers at DP World, the hope is that economic reality may eventually override diplomatic convention. As DP World’s bin Sulayem advocates, recognition “will bring more trade and investment” — an argument that may ultimately prove compelling for international partners weighing economic and security opportunities against established diplomatic protocols.
For now, Somaliland remains in diplomatic limbo: functioning as a state in all but name, yet still awaiting admission to what President Abdilahi calls “the international club”.
