Somaliland has strongly rejected Somalia’s offer to grant the US exclusive access to an airbase and the port of Berbera, which lies in the self-declared republic on the Gulf of Aden. Somaliland’s Foreign Minister called the move “desperate,” asserting Mogadishu has no authority over its territory. In a letter to President Trump, Somalia’s leader also offered a base and an airbase within Somalia proper to bolster US influence in the Horn of Africa. However, analysts say that if Puntland, where the other base is located, was not consulted, Mogadishu’s offer could further strain relations between them. Puntland is a semi-autonomous area in the country’s northeast.
Source: BBC
