By Abdullahi Salad - Reporter
Washington, 17 September 2026 Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro has offered the United States access to Berbera Port, mineral resources and business opportunities, including the possibility of building a Trump Tower, as he seeks to secure U.S. recognition.
In an interview with Semafor, published on Thursday, Irro said Somaliland was prepared to put tangible offers on the table to obtain what it has sought for decades: international recognition.
“We are not giving anything for free,” Irro said. “We have to offer something. And we expect the other partner to have the same or equal opportunities.”
Berbera Port is central to Irro's offer. It is located on the Gulf of Aden, close to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean and is one of the world's most important maritime trade routes.
Asked whether he would rule out allowing the United States, Israel or other countries to establish a military base in Somaliland, Irro said he would not. Any agreement would depend on what Somaliland received in return, including recognition, greater security assistance and support for its armed forces, he said.
Beyond Berbera, Irro offered U.S. investors access to Somaliland's mineral resources, fisheries and coastline. He said economic cooperation and investment could proceed even before formal recognition was secured.
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The aim is to persuade American companies to view Somaliland as a destination for business and investment, rather than solely as an unrecognised territory.
Irro has also floated proposals designed to appeal to President Donald Trump. He suggested that Berbera Airport could be named after Trump or that the U.S. president could be encouraged to build a Trump Tower in Hargeisa.
No agreements have been reached on these proposals, but they form part of Irro's message that Somaliland is prepared to offer commercial opportunities and symbolic gestures in return for the Trump administration's support for recognition.
Irro described the United States as the “big fish” Somaliland wants to pursue in its recognition campaign.
His remarks suggest that Somaliland's recognition campaign has entered a more transactional phase, offering strategic access, natural resources and investment opportunities while seeking recognition and security assistance from Washington in return.
The Federal Government of Somalia firmly opposes Somaliland's claim to independence. Mogadishu considers Berbera, its coastline and the natural resources in the territory to be sovereign assets belonging to the Federal Republic of Somalia.