U.S. President Donald Trump has said his administration does not intend to quickly follow Israel in recognizing Somaliland as an independent state, signaling caution despite growing diplomatic pressure and lobbying around the breakaway Somali region.
Speaking in a telephone interview on Friday, December 27, 2025, from West Palm Beach, Florida, Trump told the New York Post that Washington is not ready to change its position. Asked directly whether he would recognize Somaliland, the president replied bluntly: “Just say, ‘No.’” He added that while “everything is under study,” there are no immediate plans to alter U.S. policy.
Trump appeared dismissive of Somaliland’s international profile and strategic proposals, questioning its global relevance and downplaying offers that have been central to its outreach to Washington. When asked about Somaliland’s proposal to grant the United States access to a port or naval facility near the Gulf of Aden, a key maritime corridor, Trump responded: “Big deal.”
The remarks came one day after Israel became the first country to formally recognize Somaliland, which declared independence from Somalia in 1991. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking during a video call with Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, said he would convey Somaliland’s desire to join the Abraham Accords during a planned meeting with Trump.
However, Trump indicated that his upcoming discussions with Netanyahu would focus instead on the Gaza Strip, where the United States played a role in brokering an October 2025 ceasefire. Trump currently chairs a United Nations–approved Board of Peace overseeing the ceasefire’s implementation and Gaza’s reconstruction, which he described as a higher diplomatic priority.
Despite Israel’s move, Somaliland’s independence bid remains unrecognized internationally. The decision by Tel Aviv drew swift criticism from Arab countries, the African Union (AU), and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), all of which reaffirmed support for Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Somaliland, a former British protectorate, has operated as a de facto autonomous entity for more than three decades, maintaining its own government, security forces, and elections with peaceful transfers of power. The Federal Government of Somalia continues to reject secession, warning that any unilateral recognition violates international law. This position has also been echoed by U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar, who has strongly opposed recognition.
While some U.S. lawmakers, including Rep. Scott Perry, have introduced legislation supportive of Somaliland’s independence, and U.S. Africa Command chief Gen. Dagvin Anderson visited the region last month, Trump’s latest comments suggest Washington remains unwilling to move quickly.
Although the president had said earlier in 2025 that the issue was “under review,” his remarks this week underline that the United States is not prepared to recognize Somaliland in the near term, despite Israel’s decision and ongoing diplomatic lobbying.
