Project 2025 Tracker / What’s done, what’s next

6. Department of State · Major

Recognize Somaliland statehood

Not started

186 6. Department of State

“This should include … the recognition of Somaliland statehood as a hedge against the U.S.’s deteriorating position in Djibouti; and a focus on supporting American companies involved in industries important to U.S. national interests or that have a competitive advantage in Africa.”

What has happened

  1. Not started

    No recognition. State's May 2026 report to Congress under §7019(e) of the FY2026 appropriations act restates that "the United States recognizes the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia, which includes the region of Somaliland" and describes engagement within that framework. Israel recognized Somaliland on 2025-12-26; the United States did not follow. The report is the current statement of policy and it runs against the ask, so it is carried here as Evidence.

Research log

What was searched, and what didn’t count as evidence

Research notes

  • Negative search, 2026-08-26: a search for “somaliland” across all the federal records we keep and search hit only two bills (H.R. 3992 “Republic of Somaliland Independence Act”, introduced 2025-06-12, and H.R. 7993 “Somaliland Economic Access and Opportunity Act”, 2026-03-19; both referred to committee) and no presidential document, rule, notice or White House action. A Federal Register full-text search for “Somaliland” since 2025-01-20: one document, the termination of Somalia’s TPS designation (2026-01-14), unrelated.
  • State Department, “Report to Congress on Potential Areas for Improved United States Engagement with Somaliland” (May 2026, required by §7019(e) of Div. F, P.L. 119-75 and House Report 119-217), https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Somaliland_Congressional_Report-Accessible-HRC1399311.pdf — read in full; allowlisted and the best current statement of policy. Carried as Evidence on the not started event, because action against an ask keeps the Status down and attaches the record to it: the report is the moved-the-other-way instrument here, not a reason to leave the negative bare.
  • Reporting that the President said in 2025 the administration was “looking into” recognition and that State reaffirmed Somalia’s territorial integrity after Israel’s recognition (Washington Post, 2025-12-29, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/12/29/israel-somaliland-recognition-palestine-trump/; The Hill/AP, “More countries reject Israel’s recognition of Somaliland”) could not be opened — leads. If a recognition is announced, it is a done from that date.
Action
other
Object
Statehood of Somaliland
ID
499