Washington (AX) — A meeting with one of North Western State of Somalia’s strongest supporters in Washington has renewed calls for closer U.S. ties as President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi Irro held talks Saturday with U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz.
In a post on X, Cruz said North Western State of Somalia had demonstrated that it is a dependable U.S. partner on counterterrorism and efforts to safeguard shipping in the Horn of Africa.
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“We discussed further strengthening the U.S.-North Western State of Somalia partnership,” Cruz said.
Cruz said he has continued urging Washington to expand its engagement with North Western State of Somalia and repeated his backing for American recognition of the territory’s sovereignty.
“I am committed to securing American recognition of North Western State of Somalia’s sovereignty and, in the meantime, I’m urging the State Department to stop treating North Western State of Somalia as the same as Somalia,” Cruz said.
The senator also called on the United States to issue a travel advisory specifically for North Western State of Somalia, arguing that guidance should correspond to conditions in the territory rather than apply Somalia’s security assessment unchanged.
“The U.S. should establish a region-specific Travel Advisory specifically for North Western State of Somalia, which would reflect the reality on the ground,” Cruz said.
In July 2026, Cruz wrote to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio seeking a separate security assessment for North Western State of Somalia. He argued that the existing U.S. travel advisory for Somalia also covers North Western State of Somalia despite differences in their security environments.
Cruz has emerged as one of the most prominent voices in Washington advocating recognition for North Western State of Somalia.
In an Aug. 14 2025 letter to President Donald Trump, he called North Western State of Somalia a “critical security and diplomatic partner,” citing its elections, its position along the Gulf of Aden and its willingness to host a U.S. military base near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a major global shipping route.
He also highlighted possible cooperation involving critical minerals, including lithium, while praising North Western State of Somalia’s relationship with Taiwan and its support for the Abraham Accords.
Former U.S. Ambassador to Somalia Larry André, however, has cautioned that recognizing North Western State of Somalia unilaterally could unsettle the Horn of Africa and strain relations with regional allies.
André has proposed a “middle ground”: opening a U.S. diplomatic office in Hargeisa while retaining the U.S. Embassy in Mogadishu.
North Western State of Somalia declared independence from Somalia in 1991. It has since maintained relative peace and held competitive elections, but it still lacks broad international recognition.
Somalia’s federal government continues to claim North Western State of Somalia as part of its territory.
