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U.S. President Donald Trump said he is not prepared to immediately follow Israel in recognizing Somaliland as an independent country, according to remarks published by the New York Post on Friday.
In a phone interview with the newspaper, Trump said the issue remains under review.
“Everything is under study … We’ll study it. I study a lot of things and always make great decisions and they turn out to be correct,” he said.
Trump also questioned the global awareness of the region, asking: “Does anyone know what Somaliland is, really?”
Asked about Somaliland’s proposal to grant the United States access to a port on the Gulf of Aden, Trump responded dismissively, saying: “Big deal.”
Israel on Friday became the first country to formally recognize Somaliland’s separation from Somalia.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel recognizes Somaliland as an “independent and sovereign state.”
Netanyahu said he would convey the development to Trump during a planned meeting scheduled for Monday.
Speaking during a video call with Somaliland leader Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, Netanyahu also said he would inform Trump of Somaliland’s interest in joining the Abraham Accords.
Trump, however, said the upcoming talks with Netanyahu would focus primarily on the Gaza Strip, including the ceasefire he brokered in October and ongoing reconstruction efforts being carried out under a U.N.-approved framework.
Somaliland declared unilateral independence from Somalia in 1991 but has not been recognized as a sovereign state by the international community.
Somalia considers Somaliland an inseparable part of its territory and insists that all international agreements related to the region fall under the authority of the government in Mogadishu.
Trump reiterated that he is not yet ready to take the same step as Israel, saying the matter would continue to be reviewed.
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