The Daily Populous Wednesday November 20th, 2024 evening edition
Authored by the-independent.com and submitted by -Sliced-

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Donald Trump is poised to recognise a former British protectorate as an official country, according to a former UK defence secretary who lobbied the president-elect.

Sir Gavin Williamson told The Independent he has held talks with Trump’s team about the official recognition of Somaliland, which holds a crucial strategic position on the Red Sea.

He said he was confident Mr Trump would take up the issue once he assumes office in January.

The former Tory cabinet minister has been the leading advocate for official recognition of the ex-British protectorate, which has in effect been independent from Somalia since 1991.

It is uncomfortable for Labour that a senior Tory figure is seeking to influence US foreign policy, and potentially bounce the UK government into changing its stance on the issue.

open image in gallery Donald Trump could recognise Somaliland ( AP )

“They should agree to it, though when he assumes office it will probably all take a little longer than we hope,” he said. “But had really good meetings with his policy leads so fingers crossed.”

He added: “One of Trump’s last orders as president was to withdraw troops from Somalia but then Biden countermanded that order. There is nothing that Trump hates more than someone overruling him so I used that to push the argument.”

It comes after Somaliland recently successfully held free and fair elections which the opposition leader Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi won on a 53 per cent turnout.

While Somaliland has close links with the UK as a former part of the empire, the only country which recognises it is Ethiopia which signed a deal for access to the sea at the port city of Berbera.

The agreement, signed on 1 January this year, caused an international row with Somalia which still lays claim to the territory after the two countries united in 1960.

Previous attempts to recognise Somaliland were effectively blocked by former US president Barak Obama who supported Somalia’s claim. President Joe Biden supported this position even though Somalia is a centre for international piracy and terrorism; US intelligence flagged possible discussions with the Houthis – who are attacking shipping in the nearby Gulf of Aden – to provide weapons to the militant al-Shabaab in Somalia.

The first Trump administration came close to recognising the tiny de facto state before Mr Trump lost the election in 2020. If he were to go ahead with recognition, it would put pressure on the UK to follow suit.

News of Somaliland came as Sir Keir’s government has attracted pressure over its deal with Mauritius to give them sovereignty over the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean.

The Independent recently revealed that Mr Trump is looking at vetoing foreign minister David Lammy’s recent deal because of concerns over China getting access and security around the UK/US Diego Garcia airbase.

Sir Gavin began his interest in Somaliland when he was defence secretary between 2017 and 2019 and visited the breakaway country. He has since become a leading advocate in parliament and a regular visitor to Somaliland, even receiving honourary citizenship for his efforts on their part.

open image in gallery Gavin Williamson as been in talks with Trump’s team over Somaliland ( PA Archive )

There are hopes that official recognition will allow a deal for Western allies to use the Berbera port to help with operations in the Red Sea, which has become a major international flashpoint.

There was disappointment before the election when David Cameron, as foreign secretary, agreed to demands from the Biden administration to continue to support Somalia’s claim, even though Somaliland is a stable country that runs free and fair elections.

Earlier this year, Liverpool City Council became the first British body to formally recognise Somaliland, in the hope it would raise the issue’s profile and put pressure on Mr Lammy.

Meanwhile, sources in Washington DC have told The Independent that the State Department “has warmed up” to the idea of supporting Somaliland’s claim in the days following Mr Trump’s victory.

Peter Pham, a former US special envoy to the Sahel region and a senior official in the last Trump administration, also noted: “I am sure this will be up for review after the inauguration. Similarly, a smooth election in Somaliland will, in addition to its other achievements, undoubtedly strengthen its case in an overall policy review.”

A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office source said: “It would be wrong to speculate on any policy decisions that the incoming administration of President-elect Trump may make.

“The UK, alongside others in the international community, does not recognise Somaliland’s unilateral declaration of independence. It is for authorities in Mogadishu and Hargeisa to resolve Somaliland’s status through dialogue and broad consultation.”

caledonivs on November 20th, 2024 at 09:01 UTC »

This is a huge win for Ethiopia. The deal last year in March this year (Ethiopian recognition of Somaliland in exchange for port access) will allow seaport access to the world's most populous landlocked country. But Egypt and Somalia looked set to ally against this move. US support for Ethiopia-Somaliland could be pivotal.

This is speculative and there's no direct evidence of this per se, but just to look out for this if it becomes a pattern in the future: if the religious elements in the Trump administration were pushing to support a policy of allying with Christian entities around the world, support for Christian Ethiopia over rival Muslim powers in the region would be a place to start.

-Sliced- on November 20th, 2024 at 07:46 UTC »

Submission Statement:

Former UK Defense Secretary Sir Gavin Williamson has been lobbying for Somaliland’s recognition as an independent nation, discussing the matter with Donald Trump’s team. Williamson expressed confidence that Trump might support Somaliland's recognition during a potential second term, leveraging Trump’s disdain for being countermanded, as seen in Biden’s reversal of Trump’s order to withdraw troops from Somalia. Recognition could pressure other Western countries, including the UK, to follow suit and potentially allow strategic use of Somaliland’s Berbera port for operations in the Red Sea.

Somaliland is a former British protectorate that declared independence in 1991. It operates as a stable, self-governed entity and recently held free elections. However it remains unrecognized internationally except by Ethiopia.

vada_buffet on November 20th, 2024 at 07:37 UTC »

Why didn't the previous regimes recognize Somaliland? Seems like a relatively stable, well functioning democracy is a net win for the world.