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From:Bridging Somaliland News Media and Somaliland Unity & Recognition Initiative (SURI)
Date: 23 August 2025
To:
The Honorable Larry André Jr., Former U.S. Ambassador to Somalia
The Honorable Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas)
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Dear Ambassador André,
We read your recent comments opposing the recognition of Somaliland with great interest—followed by great laughter, followed by great sighs of disappointment.
You argued that recognizing Somaliland would “destabilize the Horn of Africa.” Ambassador, with respect, that’s like saying fire extinguishers cause house fires. For 34 years, Somaliland has been the one part of the former Somali Republic that didn’t collapse into chaos. If we are destabilizing the Horn, then Mogadishu must be the shining capital of Scandinavian efficiency.
You also warned that recognition would “empower al-Shabaab.” Allow us to fact-check: Somaliland has kept al-Shabaab out without billions in U.S. aid, without African Union peacekeepers, and without an embassy full of foreign advisors. Somalia, on the other hand, has been receiving international assistance since cassette tapes were still popular. If recognition “empowers” anyone, it empowers the people who already built security from scratch—us.
And finally, the “dangerous precedent” argument. Ambassador, Somaliland was independent in 1960, voluntarily joined Somalia, and left the union when it collapsed. That’s not precedent—it’s divorce court. If you think every separatist movement will copy our history, then somewhere in Catalonia they’re already rushing to buy a Bab-el-Mandeb Strait.
In short, your position is less about stability and more about stubbornly pretending a functioning democracy doesn’t exist because it inconveniences Mogadishu’s narrative. We invite you to visit Hargeisa—without an armored convoy—to see what stability actually looks like.
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Dear Senator Cruz,
Now to the good news. We thank you for your letter to President Trump urging U.S. recognition of Somaliland. Where Ambassador André saw ghosts, you saw facts. Where he predicted chaos, you identified opportunity.
You recognized Somaliland’s strategic location on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, our democratic achievements, and our three-decade-long record of peace and stability. For that, the people of Somaliland are deeply grateful.
Your initiative has sparked optimism across our country. Children in Hargeisa spoke about your letter as though Texas itself had joined our independence movement. Farmers in Borama wondered if goats could be exported duty-free to Houston. Even in Berbera, where camels traditionally keep their opinions to themselves, we noticed they stood a little taller.
More importantly, you understood the truth: recognition of Somaliland is not charity, but strategy. It strengthens America’s hand in a region where China, Russia, and others are busy collecting friends. It rewards democracy where democracy actually exists. And it secures a partner who has already proven reliability without recognition.
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Conclusion
Ambassador André, thank you for giving us an example of how outdated thinking sounds. Senator Cruz, thank you for reminding us that clarity and courage still exist in Washington.
Somaliland does not seek pity. We seek policy. Recognition is not destabilization—it is overdue justice. And until that moment comes, we will continue doing what we have always done: governing ourselves, holding elections, keeping extremists at bay, and laughing—because sometimes humor is the only answer when diplomats miss the point.
With all due respect,
Bridging Somaliland News Media & Somaliland Unity & Recognition Initiative (SURI)
