Somaliland President Taps into Washington’s China Issues

Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi speaking at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

President Muse Bihi Abdi, the leader of the separatist region of Somaliland, wound up his visit to Washington, D.C. with significantly more U.S. support for independence. Somaliland is officially a province of Somalia, but declared independence in 1991. The president’s visit follows months of intense lobbying by Hargeisa to build support for its independence among U.S. policymakers.

While the Biden administration has refused to budge from its One Somalia policy, in line with the African Union’s opposition to independence, the president’s visit managed to heighten the issue’s prominence within the Beltway.

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by Eric Olander

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