MOGADISHU, Somalia — The draft of a letter from Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to U.S. President Donald Trump offering exclusive access to air bases and seaports has reignited tensions between Somalia’s government and the breakaway region of Somaliland.
In the letter, Somalia offers “exclusive operational control” over the Berbera and Baledogle air bases and the ports of Berbera and Bosaso to “bolster American engagement in the region.” The U.S. for years has helped Somali forces with airstrikes and other support against the al-Shabab extremist group and an affiliate of the Islamic State.
The letter, dated March 16 and leaked on social media last week, speaks of “ensuring uninterrupted military and logistical access while preventing external competitors from establishing a presence in this critical corridor.”
The letter was confirmed as “an authentic draft” by a senior official in Somalia’s foreign ministry, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to give press interviews.
The official was not sure if the final letter, which made the same offer, was sent. A spokesperson with the U.S Embassy declined to comment.
One of the ports, Berbera, is in a key city located in Somaliland, whose long assertion as an independent state has not received international recognition.
Somaliland’s President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, speaking during an Eid al-Fitr address on Saturday in Hargeisa, called the Somali president’s move “dangerous.”
Abdullahi warned the international community not to be misled and reiterated that any nation wishing to engage with Berbera must do so through Somaliland’s elected leadership.
“Somaliland governs itself, controls its own land, sea and airspace, and makes its own decisions,” he said.
Somaliland, a former British protectorate, declared independence from Somalia in 1991 following the collapse of the central government. It maintains its own government, security forces and currency and has held elections.
The incident underscores the complex geopolitics of the region.
Somaliland last year signed an agreement with neighboring Ethiopia, a landlocked country, granting it access to the sea to build a port. Somalia condemned the agreement and criticized Ethiopia for what it called interference.
Somalia’s federal government also faces uncertainty over its relations with Puntland, a semi-autonomous region whose port city of Bosaso was mentioned in the leaked draft. Puntland has not commented.
