Why Trump Recognizing Somaliland is Key to Staving Off China

When Americans think of Somalia, they’re likely to think of anarchy, poverty, and pirates. Somalia is one of the most anarchic countries in the world, akin to Haiti. Its government barely controls its own capital, and the countryside is overrun with Islamic terrorists.

What most Americans may not know is that Somalia has a breakaway region: Somaliland. Although it has its own government and military and is considered extremely safe (by East African standards), no countries in the world recognize it because it stands opposed to the UN-backed Somali government.

That may soon change. If reports are to be believed, President-elect Donald Trump and his circle of foreign policy advisors are considering recognizing Somaliland as a country. On the surface, it seems that wading into the complex Horn of Africa would be fruitless; the last president to get involved there, Bill Clinton, wound up regretting it.

In fact, the reverse is true: for America, recognition of Somaliland has only upsides and few, if any, downsides.

More importantly, it will give the United States a leg-up on China, which is seeking to increase its influence across the world — particularly in East Africa. In 2017, China opened a military base in Djibouti, a tiny country right on the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea, which also borders Somaliland. By recognizing Somaliland — and essentially becoming their only ally — the United States could gain a valuable ally from which they can keep an eye on, and even deter China’s African military aspirations.

The Chinese have not only been expanding economically and militarily across the African continent, but have been greatly outpacing the US in their endeavors, handing them a significant geopolitical advantage. Despite his intentions to reduce America’s global military footprint, he has an opportunity to succeed in containing China where previous administrations have failed.