"We are willing to give exclusive [access to our minerals] to the United States. Also, we are open to offer military bases to the United States," Khadar Hussein Abdi, minister of the presidency, told AFP in an interview on Saturday.
"We believe that we will agree on something with theUnited States."
Somaliland's Ministry of Energy and Minerals say the country's soil is rich in lithium, coltan and other sought-after resources, though independent studies are lacking.In 2024 the Saudi Mining Company Kilomass secured an exploration deal there for lithium and other critical minerals.
Washington already has a naval base inDjibouti, a neighbouring country of Somaliland.
Strategic rapprochement with Israel
In December, Israel became the first country toformally recogniseSomaliland as an independent state which the northern territory has been seeking since declaring its autonomy fromSomaliain 1991.
The government in Mogadishu still considersSomalilandan integral part of Somalia even though the territory has run its own affairs since 1991, with its own passports, currency, army and police force.
Earlier this month, Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi said no bilateral economic deal with Israel had yet been reached, but that Somalilandexpected to sign "a partnership agreement"offering rights to valuable mineral deposits as part of the deal.
Abdi said he "could not rule out" the possibility of also allowing Israel to set up a military presence in the context of this strategic partnership.
Israel's recognition of Somaliland is not an isolated initiative': expert
Regional instability
Somaliland lies across the Gulf of Aden fromYemen, where Houthi rebels, backed by Iran, have often attacked Israeli assets to show solidarity with Palestinians.
Israeli recognition of Somaliland has prompted threats from the Houthis and al-Qaeda-linked Islamist groupal-Shabaab, which has been waging war against the fragile Somali state for 20 years.
Somali PresidentHassan Sheikh MohamudIsraeli recognition as "the greatest violation of Somalia's sovereignty" and a "threat to the security and stability of the world and the region".
TheAfrican Unionand most Arab countries threw their support behind Somalia and condemned the move.
The US has yet to signal a major shift on the question of Somaliland.
But in August, US PresidentDonald Trump, who had previously lobbed insults at Somalia and President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, suggested he was preparing to move on the issue when asked about Somaliland during a White House news conference.
DR Congo weighs price of security in minerals deal with US
(with AFP)
Originally published on RFI
