Somaliland looking to lure US with minerals, military base offers
Baku, February 22, AZERTAC
Separatist Somaliland, in an attempt to gain international legitimacy, is looking to lure the U.S. by granting it access to mineral resources and military bases, Daily Sabah reports.
Israel became the only country in the world to recognize Somaliland's independence in December – something the territory has been seeking since declaring its autonomy from Somalia in 1991.
The government in Mogadishu still considers and international organizations like the U.N., see Somaliland as an integral part of Somalia.
"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 Saturday.
"We believe that we will agree on something with the United States."
Separatist Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi already suggested in recent weeks granting Israel privileged access to its mineral resources.
And Khadar Hussein Abdi said he could not rule out the possibility of also allowing Israel to set up a military presence.
Somaliland lies across the Gulf of Aden from Yemen, where Houthi rebels have targeted Israeli assets to show solidarity with Palestinians.
Somaliland officials have said their soil is rich in lithium, coltan and other sought-after resources, though independent studies are lacking.
Other news in this section
