Somalia is prepared to grant the United States exclusive control over key air bases and ports, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud stated in a letter to President Donald Trump on March 16, as seen by Reuters.
The proposed assets include the Balidogle and Berbera air bases as well as the ports of Berbera and Bosaso.
The move, if accepted, would strengthen the U.S. military presence in the Horn of Africa, offering strategic advantages in countering Islamist militant threats in Somalia and the broader region.
“These strategically positioned assets provide an opportunity to bolster American engagement in the region, ensuring uninterrupted military and logistical access while preventing external competitors from establishing a presence in this critical corridor,” the letter read.
However, the offer has sparked tensions with Somaliland, a self-declared independent region where the Berbera air base and port are located. Somaliland’s Foreign Minister Abdirahman Dahir Aden dismissed Somalia’s proposal, emphasizing that the U.S. would deal directly with Somaliland instead.
“The USA gave up this corrupted regime called Somalia. The USA is now ready to deal with Somaliland, who has shown the world to be a peaceful, stable, and democratic nation,” Aden told Reuters.
The Balidogle air base, located 90 km northwest of Mogadishu, and Bosaso port in the semi-autonomous state of Puntland are also part of the deal. The Somali government has yet to provide an official response regarding potential diplomatic fallout.
