Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi (Irro) met Monday with senior officials from the United States Forces in East Africa, a high-level engagement underscoring Somaliland’s growing importance in regional security discussions.
During the talks in Hargeisa, President Irro thanked the American delegation for their visit and highlighted the strategic significance of Somaliland in a volatile region. He stressed that Somaliland has, for more than three decades, provided a rare model of stability, democracy and peaceful coexistence in the Horn of Africa — and that the self-governing republic remains a “reliable partner” for Washington.
“Somaliland is a responsible government that has consistently worked on issues of security, democracy, and social development,” Irro said, adding that its cooperation with international partners has contributed to regional peace and maritime security along one of the world’s busiest shipping corridors.
The president also expressed appreciation to the U.S. Congress for what he described as a “positive shift” in American foreign policy toward Somaliland, including bipartisan voices in Washington calling for closer ties with Hargeisa and a reassessment of U.S. engagement in the Horn of Africa.
For their part, U.S. military officials commended Somaliland’s record on internal stability and its efforts to counter threats on land and at sea. They pledged to strengthen bilateral security cooperation, including training and technical assistance for Somaliland’s defense and security institutions.
The meeting comes as the Horn of Africa remains a theater of competition between regional and global powers, with Somalia’s federal government struggling to contain Al-Shabab militants and tensions flaring over maritime access and foreign bases. Somaliland, unrecognized internationally but functioning independently since 1991, has sought to position itself as a strategic partner for the United States and its allies.
