Trump says Somaliland is its own country, but should change its name
US President Donald Trump said on Monday that he recognises the breakaway republic of Somaliland as “a totally different country”, although he would prefer it be called “Somalia Land”.
“I call it Somalia Land, not Somaliland, because actually it's a totally different country. Some people like Somaliland that has nothing to do,” Trump said at a rally in Ohio. “I said, you got to be kidding. I think they should change the name immediately.”
It’s not clear whether Trump’s statement will lead to a new US policy towards the Gulf of Aden country recognised only by Israel. But Somaliland immediately latched onto the statement.
The Republic of Somaliland shared a video clip of Trump on Tuesday. “US President Donald Trump’s remarks underscore Somaliland’s distinct identity and its separate political reality,” the statement said on X.
“The Republic of Somaliland remains steadfast in its pursuit of international recognition through principled diplomacy and constructive international engagement,” it added.
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Trump’s statement comes at a time of rising tensions in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea and Ethiopia are on the cusp of an all-out war, analysts and diplomats tell Middle East Eye.
Egypt is sending additional troops and military equipment to Somalia, Reuters reported last week.
Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi visited the US last month. US and Israeli media described the trip as a high-stakes effort to drum up support for US recognition, but it was largely seen as a flop.
Abdullahi was filmed giggling, wheezing and mumbling his way through a fireside chat hosted by the Hudson Institute in Washington, DC, where he seemed unable to answer any questions about Somaliland’s relevance to the US.
Somaliland gained independence from Britain in 1960, five days before neighbouring Somalia, which Italy had colonised. The two united to form the Somali Republic.
From the start, the two territories suffered from an uneasy coexistence that culminated in Somali ruler Mohamed Siad Barre overseeing a military onslaught against Somaliland in the late 1980s.
Somaliland declared its independence in 1991 after a decade of war, escaping the civil war and instability that later engulfed Somalia.
Somaliland has come under the spotlight recently because of its long coastline on the Gulf of Aden, across from Yemen, where Saudi Arabia is battling the Houthis.
Israel recognised Somaliland in December 2025 and is eyeing a military base in the port of Berbera alongside the UAE, which already has a military presence there.
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