Somaliland President Irro Meets Senator Ted Cruz on Capitol Hill to Press Recognition Case

Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi 'Irro' met US Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) on Capitol Hill on September 19, 2026, during his Washington visit, to press Somaliland's case for US recognition and a closer strategic partnership. The talks covered security cooperation, counterterrorism, protection of shipping through the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea, and regional stability in the Horn of Africa. Cruz, the most visible congressional champion of Somaliland statehood, said Somaliland 'has shown itself to be an important partner working with the US' on security and safeguarding shipping lanes near the Horn of Africa. Somaliland officials framed the approach as seeking a long-term relationship with Washington based on shared strategic interests rather than foreign aid or dependency. The meeting followed Irro's September 16 Semafor interview in which he said he would not rule out US or Israeli base access at Berbera in exchange for recognition — an offer Mogadishu rejects as a claim on Somali sovereign territory.