Saturday , March 28, 2025 | {HMC} – Somaliland administration has rejected the Somali federal government’s reported offer of the strategic Berbera port to the United States, dismissing the move as a “desperate and meaningless attempt” to derail Somaliland’s push for international recognition.

Somaliland’s Foreign Minister Abdirahman Dahir Aden denounced the offer as an act of political desperation by Mogadishu.

“This is a desperate and pointless attempt by the failed Somali government,” Aden said in a statement. “It reflects the behavior of a corrupt regime in its final throes—engaging in a suicidal operation. There is nothing Mogadishu can do to stop Somaliland’s recognition.”

The reaction follows reports that Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud offered U.S. President Donald Trump exclusive operational access to key strategic assets in a March 16 letter, including air bases in Balidogle and Berbera, and ports in Berbera and Bosaso.

Somaliland’s representative to the United States, Ambassador Bashir Good, also dismissed Mogadishu’s offer, stating that Berbera is not under Somalia’s jurisdiction.

“Berbera is in a neighboring country—Somaliland—not Somalia,” said Ambassador Good. “U.S. law now requires direct engagement with Somaliland, making a third party unnecessary.”

Good added that Somaliland and the United States are actively exploring cooperation on Berbera’s development. He noted that multiple delegations from U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) have visited the port to evaluate its strategic potential.

Somalia’s central government, which opposes any move toward recognizing Somaliland as an independent state, has long insisted that the country’s unity and territorial integrity are non-negotiable. However, tensions have escalated amid increasing foreign interest in Somaliland’s strategic location on the Gulf of Aden and its growing diplomatic outreach.

Berbera, which hosts a UAE-operated military facility and a DP World-managed commercial port, has become a geopolitical flashpoint in recent years as Somaliland deepens ties with international actors—most notably Ethiopia and Taiwan.

Somaliland, which declared independence from Somalia in 1991, continues to seek international recognition. Somalia, meanwhile, maintains that Somaliland remains an integral part of its territory.

Saturday , March 28, 2025 | {HMC} – U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) has conducted an airstrike targeting ISIS militants in northern Somalia’s Calmiskaad Mountains as part of ongoing operations to weaken the group’s presence in the region.

The latest strike took place Saturday in Togga Miraale, a remote area in the Bari region believed to be a hideout for top ISIS leaders. The number of casualties remains unconfirmed.

This follows a March 25 airstrike in the Golis Mountains, carried out in coordination with the Somali federal government, which killed several ISIS-Somalia operatives.

AFRICOM reported no civilian casualties in either operation.
Puntland authorities believe ISIS fighters, who have been pushed out of the Calmiskaad mountain, are now regrouping in the Togga Miraale valley near the port city of Bosaso.

The area is difficult for ground forces to access, and officials say the group has planted landmines along key approaches to the river valley.

ISIS-Somalia, formed in 2015 by defectors from Al-Shabaab, has steadily grown in strength. Once numbering about 300 fighters in 2019, the group is now believed to have as many as 1,000 militants. It is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, the United Nations, and the Somali federal government.

Saturday , March 28, 2025 | {HMC} – The Somali National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) announced on Saturday that it killed at least 21 members of the Al-Shabaab militant group, including senior leaders and militia fighters, in a joint air and ground operation in the Geelgub area of the Middle Shabelle region.

According to a statement released by NISA, the operation was coordinated with local Ma’awisley militia and federal forces. The agency confirmed that the mission was executed according to plan and resulted in the elimination of key Al-Shabaab operatives.

NISA also reiterated its warning to the public to avoid areas where Al-Shabaab fighters are active, as these locations remain legitimate targets for government-led security operations.

The operation is part of a broader, intensified military campaign backed by local militias and international partners, aimed at dismantling Al-Shabaab’s strongholds in central Somalia.

While Somali forces have made territorial gains in Galmudug and Hirshabelle states, the al-Qaeda-linked group remains deeply embedded in rural regions and continues to launch deadly asymmetric attacks, including bombings and assassinations targeting security forces and civilians.

Saturday , March 28, 2025 | {HMC} – Former Somali intelligence chief Fahad Yasin Haji Dahir has urged President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to convene a national forum and develop a unified national plan to combat terrorism, emphasizing the need for unity across political divides as Somalia faces a persistent insurgent threat.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Fahad Yasin called for President Mohamud to set aside political differences with the opposition and extend an open invitation to all stakeholders, including former officials and critics, to contribute ideas and strategies that could help the country.

“We are ready to put aside any differences of opinion and share with you any advice and examples that can save the country,” Yasin wrote. “It is time to show unity and solidarity that can bring about a national plan to counter terrorism that threatens the existence of the nation.”

Yasin, who previously served as the Director of the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA), urged the president to call for an unconditional national forum focused on solutions, not blame.

“Mr. President, this is not the time to blame each other, but rather the time to unite. We hope that you will be the elder of the nation and put aside everything that divides the country and the people,” he stated.

The call comes as the Somali federal government, backed by clan militias and international partners, ramps up a military campaign against the al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabaab group. While government forces have reclaimed swathes of territory in Galmudug and Hirshabelle states, Al-Shabaab remains entrenched in rural areas and continues to carry out deadly asymmetric attacks.

One such attack took place last Tuesday when a roadside bomb targeted President Mohamud’s convoy near Villa Somalia in Mogadishu. Although the president was unharmed, the incident underscored the group’s continued operational reach.

Al-Shabaab, officially designated a terrorist organization by Somalia, the United States, and the United Nations, has waged an insurgency for over 15 years, aiming to overthrow the federal government and impose its strict interpretation of Islamic law.

President Mohamud has spent the past week on the front lines in Middle Shabelle, personally overseeing operations and meeting with clan militias and military commanders to sustain the momentum of the counterinsurgency campaign.