Crowds fill Hargeisa and other Somaliland communities for a second day after the US president distinguishes the territory from Somalia, though Washington has announced no change in recognition policy
Waves of celebration have swept across Somaliland since Tuesday, with flag-waving crowds, marching soldiers and street dancing continuing through last evening and into today, after US President Donald Trump said the territory is “a totally different country” from Somalia.
The remarks, made at an election rally in Youngstown, Ohio, on 12 October, were not accompanied by any formal announcement of US recognition. In Somaliland, where the question of international recognition has defined politics for more than three decades, they were nonetheless received as a landmark public acknowledgement.
The Remarks
Speaking to a rally crowd, Mr Trump drew a sharp distinction between Somaliland and Somalia, and then suggested the territory change its name. In footage of the rally, he said:
“I call it Somalialand, not Somaliland, because actually it’s a totally different country. Some people like Somaliland, it has nothing to do, you know that, has nothing to do. I said, ‘You’ve got to be kidding.’ I think they should change the name immediately.”
Somali-language coverage of the speech said the president made the comments while criticising alleged corruption in Minnesota and the Minneapolis area, a city with a large Somali community. According to that coverage, he used the term “Somalialand” to refer to that situation, and then moved quickly to separate Somaliland from Somalia. The analysis in the broadcast emphasised that his criticism was directed at issues in Minnesota and not at Somaliland.
A Second Clarification
In a separate appearance carried on Fox News, Mr Trump returned to the distinction and compared it to the Korean peninsula:
“When I talk about Somalis, the truth is that Somalia and Somaliland are different, much like North Korea and the Republic of Korea, South Korea.”
He then posed a question to his audience:
“Do you often confuse North Korea with South Korea or either of them with Minnesota? Probably not, because you understand that they are distinct places, in the same way I do not confuse Somalia and Somaliland”
Wider Context
Separately, in brief remarks to reporters outside the White House, Mr Trump described a woman, whom he did not name in the footage, as “just a complainer.” He said:
“She comes from a country that is a non-country, and then she comes over here and complains about our Constitution. I think she’s a terrible person, but that’s really up to the DOJ. I have nothing to do with it.”
The clip does not identify the woman or the country, and it does not mention Somaliland. It is included here because it reflects the tone of his recent comments on Somali-related issues. It should not be read as a statement about Somaliland’s status.
Celebrations
Within hours of the remarks circulating, Somaliland-based media and social platforms were reporting spontaneous gatherings. Reports described thousands taking to the streets of the capital, Hargeisa, waving Somaliland and American flags in a public show of appreciation. A rally in downtown Hargeisa was reported in support of Mr Trump’s remarks, and a gathering of thousands was reported there again last evening. Video from Hargeisa also showed the US flag displayed on a building.
Footage reviewed for this article shows soldiers in camouflage and red berets dancing in a paved public square, two of them holding an upside-down American flag between them while waving small flags. A large billboard in the background carries Mr Trump’s portrait beside the US and Somaliland flags. At one point a soldier holds up a poster of Mr Trump and other officials.
A wider montage shows women in colourful dresses singing outdoors, military personnel marching with a large US flag, street interviews, and outdoor screenings of the president’s remarks, accompanied by loud cheering and chanting. The soundtrack replays the president’s words: “I said, ‘You’ve got to be kidding.’”
The footage does not identify the locations of most scenes, and only Hargeisa is confirmed by the reports cited here. This article therefore does not attribute the other scenes to specific towns.
Government Response
Somaliland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation issued a statement on 13 October. As reported by Breitbart News, it said:
“The Government of the Republic of Somaliland warmly welcomes US President Donald J. Trump’s acknowledgement of the Republic of Somaliland as a distinct country. His remarks affirm a longstanding reality: the Republic of Somaliland has its own internationally defined border, inherited at independence and consistent with the African Union’s principle of respect for borders existing at independence.”
“It has its own constitution, democratically elected government and foreign relations, and has governed itself for more than three decades.”
The ministry added that Somaliland is committed to peaceful relations with its neighbours and to resolving differences through dialogue, and that it looks forward to deepening engagement with the Trump administration. It cited Israel’s formal recognition and its established partnership with Taiwan.
US Senator Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, also responded on X: “President Trump is exactly right. Somaliland is not Somalia. Well past time for the United States to formally recognize it.”
What Has Not Changed
Analysts and reporters have stressed a key distinction. As the Somali Dispatch noted, the president’s comments did not announce a decision to recognise Somaliland, and they were a public statement about its distinct identity and not a change in US diplomatic policy. Formal recognition would require a clear policy decision from Washington, which has not been announced.
The president’s suggestion that the territory change its name also raises separate questions of public consent, historical identity and constitutional procedure. Nothing in the reports reviewed indicates that Somaliland’s government intends to pursue a change.
Background
Somaliland, which has its capital in Hargeisa and an important Red Sea-region port at Berbera, was a British protectorate that became independent on 26 June 1960. It joined Italian-administered Somalia days later to form the Somali Republic. After the collapse of the central Somali state, Somaliland declared the restoration of its sovereignty in 1991. It has since run its own elections, currency, security forces and institutions.
Somalia, however, continues to regard Somaliland as part of its territory, and no UN member state had formally recognised it until Israel did so in December 2025, according to reporting on that decision. Somaliland also maintains a partnership with Taiwan, and in 2024 signed a controversial memorandum of understanding with Ethiopia over sea access. President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, known as Irro, has recently lobbied in Washington and New York, and in an interview published on 11 October by Breitbart News he urged Mr Trump to recognise Somaliland, offering cooperation on counterterrorism, anti-piracy operations, maritime security and trade. 
Outlook
For many in Somaliland, the president’s words carry symbolic weight, and the crowds have shown no sign of dispersing. Whether they translate into policy remains to be seen. Until Washington says otherwise, the status of Somaliland in US diplomacy is unchanged.
