Somaliland will be dispatching its new foreign minister, Essa Kayd, to Washington shortly before Thanksgiving (25 November), The Africa Report has learned.
The trip comes as a bevy of former US officials – including at least two former top Africa officers at the State Department – and a key member of Congress have come out in support of deepening US ties with Hargeisa.
Meanwhile, the US military is showing a keen interest in Somaliland’s airport and port facilities as it looks to hedge against rising instability and Chinese influence in the region. Most crucial, perhaps, is that Somalia’s continued political dysfunction is further contributing to its northern neighbour’s image as a reliable partner in a troubled neighbourhood.
Add an active diplomat to the mix, and many Somaliland watchers believe the time is ripe for a rethink of US policy.
“It seems to just be this serendipitous
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