Somaliland’s President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi told Breitbart News that President Donald Trump is a “great man” who can “make more history” by formally recognizing Somaliland as its own country.
The African leader made the remarks in an exclusive interview on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Somaliland, a partially recognized nation-state inside Somalia, has been fighting to fully break away over the corruption, terrorism, and piracy that dominate Somalia.
“PRESIDENT TRUMP IS A GREAT MAN. HE MADE HISTORY, AND HE COULD MAKE MORE HISTORY BY RECOGNIZING A NEW COUNTRY CALLED SOMALILAND.”
Israel recognized Somaliland as its own country in late 2025 — a move Abdullahi called “the icebreaker” that made Somaliland “feasible to the whole world.” Now the partially recognized country is positioning itself as pro-American and aiming to align closely with Trump in particular.
Abdullahi told Breitbart News that Somaliland will “cooperate unconditionally in the fight against terrorism, in the fight against piracy, in the fight for marine security, and safer world trade routes as well, in a strategic, very important location.”
The ports in Somaliland, particularly the coastal city of Berbera, are already handling major shipping companies’ needs. Abdullahi said Berbera’s strategic importance is rising with the Houthi threat in Yemen and Iran’s intransigence in the Strait of Hormuz.
“Only 100 kilometers from Yemen, Somaliland was always in a strategic location, but now, because of the problem in Hormuz, the problem in Yemen, Somaliland’s strategic importance is more important now,” Abdullahi said.
The president said some of the world’s largest shipping companies now use Berbera to bring goods because of security concerns elsewhere. “Berbera’s need and demand is increasing, and Berbera is a viable port that can handle large containers as well.”
Abdullahi also made clear he supports Trump getting the Nobel Peace Prize for everything he has done worldwide to end major conflicts, including the longest war in the world — between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda on his continent of Africa.
“I may be on the record that I am the first African leader to refer the president for a Nobel Peace Prize, because so far for the short time he has been in office, he has resolved many conflicts in the world,” Abdullahi told Breitbart News.
During his trip to the United States, Abdullahi said it was a productive couple of weeks in Washington and New York. He met with congressmen, senators, and the administration — including the State Department, the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, and Department of Treasury.
While formal recognition has yet to materialize, Abdullahi said the “level of engagement” between the United States and Somaliland has left Somalilanders “satisfied” for now. “We didn’t get the recognition now on the table, but hopefully things will move forward, and we make great progress.”
He sees ties deepening on anti-piracy, counterterrorism, and economic fronts. Somaliland, he argued, can be “a very large trade corridor to Africa, into landlocked Africa, including Ethiopia, which is about 130 million people.”
Africa is increasingly seen as a majorly rising region, with $400 billion in outside investment now pouring into the continent. “Africa now has the highest resources in the whole world in minerals, in energy, in agriculture, in industry, so Africa now is the future,” Abdullahi said.
On counterterrorism, he said Somaliland is already in discussion with the United States. “We are ready to partner with the United States, and also Somaliland historically was fighting alone, single-handedly, as I said, against terrorism and piracy.”
With regard to Gaza, Abdullahi said Somaliland is ready to commit 2,000 peacekeeping troops to the Board of Peace efforts led by Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and by White House special envoy Steve Witkoff.
“WE CAN PROVIDE 2,000 PEACEKEEPERS IN GAZA. YES, WE ARE READY FOR THAT.”
Abdullahi added that Somaliland is not looking for handouts or government aid — but for opportunities for partnership in the future.
“We didn’t come here for a list of requests or aid,” Abdullahi said. “We came with partnership. Somaliland is not for aid; it is not for handouts. Somaliland needs partnership in trade, in security, and economic cooperation. I think Somaliland can be part and parcel of making America great.”
