[Image: Reps. Scott Perry, Tom Tiffany, Andrew Ogles, Pat Harrigan, Tim Burchett, and John Rose champion H.R. 3992 2025—the Republic of Somaliland Independence Act—alongside Sen. Ted Cruz, supporting recognition in letter to President Trump.]

We, the undersigned, call on President Donald J. Trump and the America First movement to take bold action and recognize Somaliland as an independent nation. Biden and Ilhan chose to back Somalia, a state that has collapsed again and again. America First should stand with the side that actually delivers democracy and peace.

For more than thirty years, Somaliland has done what weak governments could not. It built real institutions, ran eleven free elections, protected its borders, and kept extremist groups out. Somaliland became one of the safest places in the Horn of Africa. No foreign troops held it together. The people made it work through discipline, stability, and pride.

In 2024, Somaliland and Ethiopia signed a historic MoU that linked recognition with strategic cooperation, including a path for Ethiopia to build naval access again. Ethiopia is a mostly Christian nation that has been landlocked for decades, surrounded by Arab and Muslim states. The MoU offered a stable, legal, and peaceful plan for trade, security, and development. It rewarded Somaliland for decades of success and responsibility.

While Somaliland and Ethiopia pushed for progress, several Minnesota Imams attacked the agreement and called for Jihad. And instead of standing with democracy, Biden and Ilhan sided with the government of Somalia. That government still denies Somaliland’s right to self rule, ignores its free elections, and benefits from global sympathy while delivering instability.

For years, the United States poured billions of dollars into Somalia under a nation building project pushed heavily during the Obama and Hillary Clinton era. Clinton played a major role in restoring official recognition to Somalia even though Somalia was still unstable, violent, and unable to govern itself. That recognition isolated Somaliland, punished the one functioning democracy in the region, and gave Somalia global leverage it never earned. Even with billions in aid, Somalia did not improve. Somaliland survived and flourished anyway.

The Bush administration took Somaliland seriously and explored recognition because Somaliland had proven stability and self governance. But later administrations ignored that progress and kept funneling money into Somalia. Somaliland succeeded without depending on foreign aid. More than 75 percent of its national budget comes from its own local economy, not handouts. It delivered peace and democracy through its own strength, not international donors.

Project 2025 has already called for a Somaliland Recognition. Furthermore, Senator Ted Cruz and other strong voices have argued that America should stop rewarding chaos and should start supporting Somaliland which actually deliver results. 

Somaliland is not the failed side of this region. Somaliland is the outlier that works. Zero terrorist attacks since 2008. Eleven elections. A safer society than many recognized countries. A higher freedom score than most of the Horn of Africa. Somalia cannot match that record on any level.

Recognizing Somaliland strengthens Americas strategic position, supports a proven democracy, and rejects the weakness shown under Biden and Ilhan. America First leadership means backing nations that stand for stability and peace, not ones that collapse into chaos.

President Trump has always supported people who build their own future and defend their own freedom. Somaliland has done that for more than three decades. The United States should recognize Somaliland now and stand with the only stable democracy in the region.

Somaliland has also signaled that it is open to working with the Abraham Accords and partnering with nations that want real peace and stability in the region. This is something Somalia could never offer. Al Shabaab has heavy influence inside Somalia and would shut down any discussion of real peace or cooperation before it even starts. Somaliland, on the other hand, welcomes dialogue, welcomes progress, and welcomes alliances that support a safer and more stable Gulf of Aden.

And let’s be honest: Ilhan Omar has probably opposed Somaliland recognition far more than ever gets reported. This silence is not an accident. She knows exactly what recognition would mean for the future of the region and for the people she claims to speak for. It is time to call out this nonsense and stand with democracy instead.

It's Night and day:
 

MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN
MAKE SOMALILAND RECOGNISED AGAIN

(For more background, see this article.)

Sign below