Is Trump considering bold Africa play to push back on China, Russia and Islamic terrorists?

President Donald Trump is reportedly moving connected a determination that would springiness the U.S. a caller subject and economical foothold successful Africa, antagonistic China and Russia and onslaught a stroke against Islamist terrorists successful the region. And present a starring legislator has told Fox News Digital this extremity tin beryllium realized by recognizing the breakaway Somaliland arsenic an autarkic state.

Somaliland, connected the confederate seashore of the Gulf of Aden, broke distant from Somalia successful 1991. Its authorities is said to beryllium offering the U.S. a caller aerial and oversea basal adjacent to the entranceway of the Red Sea, and straight crossed from Yemen and the Houthis, if the U.S. formally recognizes it, 30% of the world’s instrumentality vessel postulation is reported to walk done its waters en way to oregon from the Suez Canal.

In the Oval Office connected Aug. 8, Trump told reporters, "We’re looking into that close now," erstwhile asked astir the designation of Somaliland and the imaginable resettlement of Gazans there, adding, "We’re moving connected that close now, Somaliland". 

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The president of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee connected Africa, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas., told Fox News Digital, "There is simply a precise existent accidental that President Trump volition admit Somaliland during this administration."

Cruz added, "President Trump is bringing a caller epoch of clarity successful American nationalist security, aft 4 years of the Biden medication rewarding our enemies and punishing our allies, and recognizing Somaliland should beryllium portion of this caller era.

"Somaliland has been a reliable state to the United States, is integrating itself with america and our allies globally, and is committed to helping america antagonistic efforts by China to undermine the information and prosperity of Americans," helium said.

The White House did not respond to a Fox News Digital petition for comment.

Neighboring Somalia has been battling Islamist fundamentalist fighters for decades. U.S. Africa Command has accrued the fig of airstrikes against some ISIS and al-Shabab terrorists nether the existent administration.

But Somaliland, 99% Muslim, has allegedly eliminated radicalism and has aligned itself with the U.S. and Israel, starring Cruz to archer Fox News Digital, "They’re a Muslim country, successful a precise unsafe portion of Africa, showing existent courage. I volition proceed to propulsion for deepening the U.S.-Somaliland partnership, including done the Africa Subcommittee successful the Senate, and I expect that my colleagues connected some sides of the aisle volition beryllium receptive to doing so."

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Earlier this month, Cruz wrote to President Trump astir Somaliland, stating, "it requires the presumption of a state. I impulse you to assistance it that recognition."

Somaliland’s president, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi , is optimistic, telling the British Guardian paper connected May 30, "Recognition is connected the horizon." He added, "It’s a substance of time. Not if, but when".

Somaliland’s larboard astatine Berbera is the jewel successful immoderate Washington deal. Analysts accidental it is successful specified a strategical presumption that some Russia and China person tried to get it. Right adjacent doorway to it is 1 of Africa’s 5 longest runways, offering the U.S. the anticipation of some a oversea and aerial basal that tin onslaught Houthi rebels to the northbound and Al Shabaab terrorists to the east. 

In his missive to the White House, Cruz wrote, "Somaliland has emerged arsenic a captious information and diplomatic spouse for the United States, helping America beforehand our nationalist information interests successful the Horn of Africa and beyond. It is strategically located on the

Gulf of Aden, putting it adjacent 1 of the world’s busiest maritime corridors. It possesses susceptible equipped forces and contributes to determination counterterrorism and piracy operations. It has projected hosting a U.S. subject beingness adjacent the Red Sea on the Gulf of Aden."

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The U.S.’s largest subject basal successful Africa is conscionable up the seashore successful Djibouti. But determination are information and surveillance issues astatine the Camp Lemonnier U.S. basal wherever the Chinese and different nations person opened their ain bases and monitoring stations nearby.

Somaliland is besides offering the White House entree to uncommon world minerals indispensable for high-tech industries, specified arsenic lithium and silicon quartz.

The U.S. has described Somalia, with ample numbers of some ISIS and al-Qaida-linked operatives, arsenic a violent harmless haven. Now the expanding beingness of China and subject forces from countries specified arsenic Turkey is reportedly starring immoderate successful Washington to beryllium progressively unhappy with its "one Somalia" policy, wherever Somaliland continues to beryllium recognized lone arsenic a portion of Somalia. 

For now, a State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital the authoritative position: "The United States recognizes the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia, which includes the territory of Somaliland. The State Department is not successful progressive discussions with Somaliland’s representatives astir a woody to admit Somaliland arsenic a state."

But, Somaliland’s overseas curate worked Washington’s corridors and politicians successful April, and respective African sources, including the influential Horn Observer quality outlet, person reported that President Abdullahi is expected to travel to D.C. "soon". U.S. officials, including the U.S. ambassador to Somalia, Richard Riley, are said to person been to Somaliland to conscionable with the president astatine slightest 3 times this year.