A Taiwanese Coast Guard delegation arrived in Somaliland for high-level talks to advance a 2025 maritime security pact, strengthening cooperation on surveillance, training, and safeguarding Red Sea–Indian Ocean trade routes
HARGEISA, Somaliland — A high-ranking delegation from Taiwan’s Ocean Affairs Coast Guard arrived in Somaliland’s capital on Saturday, marking a new phase in the fast-expanding maritime security partnership between two self-governing democracies seeking greater strategic resilience in the Red Sea–Indian Ocean corridor.
Admiral Ahmed Hure Haariye, commander of the Somaliland Coast Guard, received the Taiwanese officials at the force’s headquarters in Hargeisa, where both sides opened a new round of discussions aimed at translating a 2025 maritime security agreement into operational reality.
“This visit reflects a deepening commitment to safeguarding shared waters and responding to emerging maritime threats,” Admiral Haariye said, according to Somaliland officials briefed on the talks.
Senior Somaliland officers, including First Deputy Chief of Staff Col. Khadar Mohamed Aw Ciise, joined the discussions, which officials say will center on maritime surveillance, coast guard training, information-sharing systems, and joint operational capacity.
A Security Pact Rooted in a Shifting Regional Landscape
The 2025 agreement—signed quietly but viewed with increasing significance by regional observers—established a framework for joint exercises, technical assistance, and coordinated efforts to protect shipping lanes that link the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and the wider Indo-Pacific.
Security analysts say the pact has become one of the region’s most consequential emerging alignments.
“Somaliland and Taiwan are middle-sized democracies operating in contested geopolitical spaces,” said a Horn of Africa maritime analyst based in Nairobi.
“Their cooperation strengthens both of their hands in an era of heightened regional militarization and global competition.”
The visit comes amid escalating tensions in the Red Sea—where Houthi attacks on shipping continue to unsettle global trade routes—and intensifying rivalries among Gulf states, China, the U.S., and other powers seeking influence along Africa’s eastern seaboard.
Dinner Diplomacy and Technical Discussions
After several hours of formal talks on Saturday, Admiral Haariye and Col. Khadar hosted a dinner for the Taiwanese delegation. Officials described the engagement as “constructive” and part of a broader effort to cement long-term institutional ties between the two coast guards.
According to Somaliland’s Coast Guard headquarters, Taiwanese officials will:
- Assess Somaliland’s maritime security needs
- Outline specialized and advanced training modules
- Review equipment and technical support options
- Create a timeline for joint maritime exercises
- Begin coordination frameworks for intelligence and surveillance sharing
A senior Somaliland security official said the goal is to “institutionalize cooperation, not merely maintain ad-hoc exchanges.”
Growing Bilateral Momentum
The maritime visit follows a July trip by Somaliland’s Foreign Minister Abdirahman Dahir Adam to Taipei, where both governments reaffirmed their intention to operationalize the maritime pact and deepen collaboration across security, economic, and diplomatic sectors.
During those meetings, Taiwan and Somaliland discussed potential future coordination with “like-minded partners”—a phrase analysts interpret as a reference to the United States, Japan, and other Indo-Pacific democracies.
“This relationship has matured to a level where joint maritime planning is no longer symbolic—it’s strategic,” said a former Taiwanese naval official familiar with the talks.
Both governments maintain representative offices in each other’s capitals and have expanded cooperation in healthcare, technology, education, and trade since establishing ties in 2020.
Somaliland’s Coast Guard: A Regional Outlier
While fragile states across the Horn of Africa struggle to control their territorial waters, Somaliland has steadily built one of the region’s most effective coast guard forces—despite limited international recognition.
Taiwanese officials, speaking on background, noted that Somaliland’s coast guard is “competent, disciplined, and structurally sound,” making it a favorable partner compared to other forces in the Somali region.
Partnership priorities include:
- Combating human trafficking and migrant smuggling
- Preventing illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing
- Securing major maritime trade routes
- Improving search-and-rescue and emergency response capacity
- Strengthening coastal radar and domain awareness systems
Both sides view the waters off Somaliland as strategically critical—an extension of the wider security architecture that connects the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean and onward to the Indo-Pacific.
Why This Matters
The Somaliland-Taiwan maritime relationship has broad implications that extend beyond the Horn of Africa.
1. A New Democratic Security Axis
The pact represents strategic coordination between two unrecognized or partially recognized states that face pressure from larger authoritarian actors. Their cooperation, analysts say, symbolizes defiance against coercive diplomacy.
2. Pressure on Beijing and Mogadishu
China has vigorously opposed Taiwan’s growing ties with Somaliland. Somalia also rejects the partnership, asserting sovereignty over Somaliland’s territory and international agreements.
However, Hargeisa views the Taiwan relationship as essential to diversifying its partnerships and boosting its self-governing legitimacy.
3. A Security Alternative for the Red Sea Corridor
As instability spreads—ranging from the Yemeni conflict to rising piracy—Somaliland and Taiwan aim to contribute to a collective maritime security framework that supports global supply chains.
4. U.S. and Indo-Pacific Relevance
Though Washington has not formally endorsed the pact, U.S. officials have quietly welcomed stronger rules-based cooperation along the Red Sea–Indian Ocean route, particularly as China deepens its presence in Djibouti and the Gulf of Aden.
A Partnership to Watch
The Taiwanese delegation will remain in Somaliland for several days as both sides finalize operational roadmaps for 2025 and 2026. Officials say additional technical teams will follow, marking the beginning of a sustained and formalized maritime collaboration.
“This is not a ceremonial visit,” a Somaliland security official said. “It is the beginning of a long-term maritime partnership that strengthens regional stability.”
