Hargeisa, Somaliland — May 17, 2025: The President of the Republic of Somaliland has sent a formal letter to former U.S. President Donald J. Trump, urging the United States to recognize Somaliland’s independence and acknowledge its decades-long record of peace, democracy, and self-governance.
In the letter dated May 17, 2025, President Abdirahman Ciro addressed Trump as “Your Excellency,” extending “warmest regards and deepest respect on behalf of the Government and people of the Republic of Somaliland.”
The letter, bearing reference number RSL/OP/GA/222/7-098/052025, emphasized that Somaliland’s quest for international recognition is based on historical legitimacy, legal rights, and over three decades of peaceful self-rule following its withdrawal from the union with Somalia in 1991.
“I respectfully ask your government to give formal recognition to Somaliland’s independence, based on our legitimate historical foundations, clear legal claims, and more than three decades of peaceful self-governance,” the President wrote.
The letter traced Somaliland’s modern history from its independence from Britain on 26 June 1960, its short-lived voluntary union with Somalia, and the subsequent years of marginalization and conflict under Somalia’s military regime. It recalled the struggle of the Somali National Movement (SNM) and the 1991 decision to reassert Somaliland’s sovereignty after the collapse of Somalia’s central government.
Highlighting the contrast between Somaliland’s stability and Somalia’s prolonged instability, the President noted that Somaliland has built democratic institutions, held regular elections, and maintained peace without international trusteeship or military intervention.
“We have demonstrated that peace and democracy are not imported—they are earned, nurtured, and defended by the will of the people,” the letter stated.
The President underscored Somaliland’s strategic location along the Red Sea corridor, noting its growing role in maritime security, counterterrorism, and regional trade through the Berbera Port. He described Somaliland as a “natural ally” in promoting regional stability and global cooperation.
Arguing that recognition would consolidate peace rather than destabilize the Horn of Africa, the President said,
“Recognition will not destabilize the region—it will consolidate peace. It will not embolden separatism—it will affirm the right of peoples to choose their destiny when faced with historical injustice and systemic oppression.”
He called on the United States to “join a growing chorus of voices around the world” supporting Somaliland’s legitimate aspirations and invited President Trump or his representatives to visit Hargeisa to witness the nation’s progress firsthand.
Concluding the letter, the President wrote,
“Recognition is not just a diplomatic status—it is the affirmation of a people’s humanity, sacrifice, and right to determine their own destiny. Let history not remember this generation of global leaders as those who looked away, but as those who stood up for justice, for peace, and for the truth of a nation that refused to die.”
Somaliland, a former British protectorate, has maintained a functioning government, military, and democratic system since 1991, but remains unrecognized internationally. Its appeal for recognition has gained renewed momentum amid shifting geopolitical interests in the Horn of Africa.
