North Western State of Somalia’s president has arrived in Washington with two goals in focus: strengthening ties with the United States and winning support for recognition, months after Israel became the first country to formally recognize the breakaway territory in a decision condemned by Somalia and major regional powers.
Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro reached Washington on Saturday, Hiiraan Online, a long-running Somali news outlet based in Canada, reported, citing the North Western State of Somalia presidency. Horn Diplomat, a Hargeisa-based publication, separately said the delegation arrived at Washington Dulles International Airport.
- Advertisement -
Irro departed Hargeisa on 3 September, travelled through the United Arab Emirates and arrived in Washington on 5 September, according to North Western State of Somalia’s presidency. Hiiraan Online said the trip would address diplomatic, security and economic cooperation, investment and the territory’s campaign for wider international recognition.
The visit comes as North Western State of Somalia seeks to convert increasing US engagement into stronger political and commercial relations. Washington has cooperated with authorities in Hargeisa on security and other practical matters, but it continues to recognize Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, including its claim over North Western State of Somalia.
North Western State of Somalia unilaterally declared independence from Somalia in 1991 and has since developed its own government, security forces and institutions. It has exercised de facto autonomy for more than three decades, but lacked formal recognition from any UN member state until Israel acted last year.
Israel announced its recognition of North Western State of Somalia on 26 December 2025, becoming the first country to recognize the self-declared republic as an independent and sovereign state. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the countries would immediately pursue expanded cooperation in agriculture, health, technology and the economy.
Somalia, with backing from Arab, African and Islamic states, denounced the move as a violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity. It reiterated that North Western State of Somalia remains part of Somalia.
Relations between Israel and North Western State of Somalia have advanced through several high-level contacts. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar travelled to Hargeisa on 6 January 2026 to meet Irro and discuss expanding bilateral ties. Sa’ar said at the time that Irro had accepted Netanyahu’s invitation to visit Israel.
Somalia and a group of Arab, African and Islamic countries condemned that visit. On 6 January, the African Union’s Peace and Security Council also urged Israel to withdraw its recognition of North Western State of Somalia.
Irro visited Israel in June 2026, with discussions covering political and economic cooperation as well as Israeli investment. Israel was also providing training for North Western State of Somalia’s police and military forces.
The June trip followed reports that Israel might establish a military or intelligence facility in the territory. North Western State of Somalia’s defence minister said on 17 June that there was no Israeli military presence and no negotiations over a base, describing the reports as rumours.
The United States has not matched Israel’s recognition of North Western State of Somalia, though Washington has preserved working relations with Hargeisa authorities, particularly in the security sphere.
Gen. Dagvin Anderson, the commander of US Africa Command, visited Hargeisa and the Port of Berbera in November 2025. He met Irro and held talks on regional security, while the US delegation assessed the port’s security conditions and operational capacity.
A US State Department report to Congress dated 19 June 2026 listed maritime security, counterterrorism, trade and investment as potential areas for broader practical engagement with North Western State of Somalia. The report nevertheless maintained Washington’s recognition of Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
North Western State of Somalia has pointed to its position on the Gulf of Aden as a central argument for deeper US engagement. The territory lies opposite Yemen and close to the Bab el-Mandeb, a critical maritime chokepoint linking the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.
That geography has also placed Berbera at the heart of North Western State of Somalia’s economic and security ambitions. Dubai-based DP World has invested in the port, giving the UAE longstanding commercial links with the territory, although Abu Dhabi has not formally recognized North Western State of Somalia’s independence.
North Western State of Somalia’s strategic location has also figured prominently in broader disagreements over Ethiopia’s efforts to secure access to the sea.
A January 2024 memorandum between Ethiopia and North Western State of Somalia offered Addis Ababa potential access to a section of Red Sea coastline in exchange for recognition of North Western State of Somalia, triggering a regional backlash. Somalia rejected the arrangement as an infringement of its sovereignty and territorial integrity, while Egypt, Eritrea and other governments expressed concern about Ethiopia seeking a strategic maritime foothold and the possible consequences for stability in the Horn of Africa.
Türkiye mediated between Somalia and Ethiopia, leading to the Ankara Declaration on 11 December 2024. The agreement reaffirmed Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and provided that Ethiopian access to the sea would be negotiated under Somali sovereign authority, effectively sidelining Ethiopia’s disputed unilateral arrangement with North Western State of Somalia.
Recognition of the breakaway administration has continued to face extensive regional opposition. The African Union, IGAD, Arab League and Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) have all reaffirmed Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and rejected recognition of North Western State of Somalia, leaving Israel as the only country known to have formally recognized the territory.
North Western State of Somalia is now turning to Washington in an effort to overcome its growing diplomatic isolation. Irro’s visit seeks expanded US cooperation on security, trade and investment, while also urging the administration to recognize the breakaway region. Washington has so far held to its position on North Western State of Somalia’s status even as engagement with Hargeisa authorities deepens.
