By Abdishakur Mohamed.
The global race for critical minerals is entering a new phase, and an unexpected player is stepping forward with a proposition that could reshape supply chains and geopolitical alignments.
Somaliland, a self-governing territory in the Horn of Africa, is offering the United States exclusive access to its strategic mineral resources, alongside military and logistical advantages anchored around the port of Berbera. The proposal comes at a time when Washington is actively seeking to reduce its reliance on China, which dominates large segments of the global minerals supply chain.
China currently controls around 60 per cent of global rare earth mining and nearly 90 per cent of processing capacity, giving it significant leverage over materials essential to modern economies. These minerals underpin everything from electric vehicles and semiconductors to advanced military systems.
Somaliland’s offer is positioned directly against that backdrop. Authorities in the territory have indicated their readiness to grant U.S. access to deposits of lithium, coltan, and rare earth elements, alongside other strategic materials including titanium and molybdenum. Unlike many other mineral-rich regions, Somaliland presents a different profile: it has no Chinese commercial or military presence, removing a layer of geopolitical complexity that often accompanies similar deals.
The proposal extends beyond minerals. It includes access to Berbera port and a long-runway airfield, both strategically located along the Gulf of Aden. This places Somaliland outside the increasingly volatile Red Sea corridor, where disruptions have affected global shipping routes in recent years. The port’s proximity to Ethiopia, a market of more than 100 million people, adds a commercial dimension to its strategic value.
Infrastructure at Berbera has already attracted international investment. DP World holds a majority stake in the port, with over $440 million invested in upgrades, significantly improving efficiency and turnaround times. Other global actors, including the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom, have also engaged with Somaliland through development and infrastructure partnerships.
What Somaliland is asking in return is not financial. It is diplomatic recognition, a status it has sought since declaring independence in 1991. For more than three decades, the territory has operated with its own government, held multiparty elections, and maintained relative stability in a region often defined by volatility.
The proposal places Washington at a strategic crossroads. The United States has already pursued similar arrangements elsewhere, engaging countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo for cobalt and directing investment toward mineral projects in southern Africa. Somaliland’s offer aligns with that broader strategy but introduces a different equation, combining mineral access with a strategic maritime position and a governance environment presented as stable and pro-Western.
For analysts, the question is not whether the resources exist or whether the infrastructure is viable. The issue is whether the United States is prepared to make the political trade-off that Somaliland is demanding, and how such a move would affect its broader diplomatic posture in the Horn of Africa.
The stakes extend beyond bilateral relations. Global demand for critical minerals is projected to rise sharply over the next two decades, driven by the energy transition and technological expansion. Securing diversified supply chains has become a strategic priority for major economies, and locations that offer both resource access and logistical advantage are increasingly rare.
Somaliland is positioning itself as one of those locations.
Whether the offer translates into a formal agreement remains uncertain. What is clear is that the territory has inserted itself into one of the most consequential global conversations, one that links minerals, security, trade routes, and geopolitical influence into a single equation.
For Washington, the decision is not simply about resources. It is about whether to engage a partner that presents itself as strategically aligned but politically unrecognised, and whether the benefits of that engagement outweigh the diplomatic costs.
The offer is now on the table. The response will shape more than a single partnership. It could influence how the next phase of global mineral competition unfolds.
Mr. Mohamed is a writer and global trade and economic strategist specialising in the Horn of Africa. His work focuses on trade, infrastructure, investment and geopolitics of the Gulf of Aden.