Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991. Since then, it has had a separate government. However, Somalia considers it an integral part of its territory.
What you should know
Somaliland's Minister of the Presidency, Khader Hussein Abdi, has said he is ready to give the US access to minerals and military bases.
"We are willing to give the US access to our minerals. The US can also use our military bases," Minister Hussein said in an interview with the AFP news agency. He said he was ready to make such a agreement to gain international recognition.
The US has not yet recognized Somaliland. Israel is the first country to recognize Somaliland as an independent country. It recognized Somaliland last December.
Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991. Since then, it has had a separate government. However, Somalia considers it its integral territory. Somalia has been in a civil war after nearly two decades of authoritarian rule by President Siad Barre.
At the same time, the northwestern region of Somaliland declared itself independent. Somaliland declared itself independent after the army destroyed much of the north. Such chaos Somaliland was stable in the late 1990s.
Somalia accuses Israel of recognizing the partition as an attack on its territorial integrity and unity. Most African and Arab countries support Somalia. They are pressuring Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to withdraw the recognition granted to Somaliland.
But Somaliland leader Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi (Siro) has welcomed Israel's diplomatic move. Netanyahu has shown his commitment to promoting regional stability and peace, he claims.
Siro has recently said that Israel could be granted special access to its mineral resources. Minister Hussein Abdi said that the possibility of allowing Israel to establish a military presence remains.
Somaliland officials claim that their country has lithium, coltan and other minerals. However, little research has been done on this.
