Somaliland seeks strategic security cooperation with US in Red Sea

Red Sea coast: Is Somaliland breakaway region moving toward a security role?

Somaliland, the breakaway region of the Federal Republic of Somalia, discussed security cooperation with Washington during a meeting between regional President Abdirahman Mohamed and US Special Operations Command Africa Commander Claude Tudor, described as “strategically important.”

According to a statement from the Somaliland presidency, the meeting featured “in-depth discussions on ways to enhance security cooperation and shared strategic interests between Somaliland and the United States, particularly regarding the security of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, and enhancing security and stability in the Horn of Africa region.”

Somaliland leader: We cannot be ignored in securing sea lanes

Somaliland’s president said, according to the statement, that “his country is the most important in protecting the security of regional sea lanes, including the Red Sea, Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and the Gulf of Aden,” noting that it possesses more than 850 kilometers of coastline along one of the world’s most important maritime routes.

He added that coastal security in Somaliland is an integral part of regional and international security, stressing that “Somaliland cannot be ignored, and any party seeking cooperation in coastal security should deal and communicate directly with it.”

He explained that “Somaliland is ready to establish close and sustainable cooperation with various US security forces and agencies, with the aim of enhancing counter-terrorism, piracy, organized crime, and other threats affecting the security and stability of the region.”

US commander: Shared security interests

For his part, Tudor said, according to the Somaliland statement, that “the United States and Somaliland share important security interests on land and sea,” noting that the stability of the Horn of Africa region and the security of international sea lanes represent a strategic priority for both sides.

He added that Washington is ready to work closely with Somaliland on strategic issues of mutual interest, enhancing cooperation, exchanging information and expertise, and developing the security partnership in the coming phase.

Somaliland seeks regional role despite lack of recognition

Somaliland does not enjoy any international recognition except recently from Israel, which led to a wave of widespread Arab and international condemnations. The coastal region within the Federal Republic of Somalia seeks to play important roles in the region, leveraging its strategic location overlooking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

#صوماليلاند والولايات المتحدة تبحثان تعزيز التعاون الأمني وأمن البحر الأحمر

https://t.co/spmSQCtxPH via @HornD_Arabic

— HornDiplomat عربية (@HornD_Arabic) August 1, 2026

Israeli state radio recently revealed that Tel Aviv is working on qualifying and training security forces in the Somaliland region, as part of ongoing security cooperation with the breakaway region in the Horn of Africa. The radio added that this cooperation has seen gradual development recently, within a framework of extended security relations between the two sides.

In response, Yemen’s Ansar Allah (Houthi) leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi threatened in late June to target any Israeli presence in the breakaway Somaliland region “by all available means,” affirming that Yemen “will not stand idly by regarding any Israeli positioning in Somaliland, and will not wait for the faint-hearted,” according to his description.