Thursday July 24, 2025
Admiral Ahmed Hurre Hariye, Commander of the Somaliland Coast Guard (second from left), and Chang Chung-lung, Director-General of Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration (second from right), hold signed copies of a new coast guard cooperation agreement between Taiwan and Somaliland during a ceremony in Taipei on July 24, 2025. Also pictured are Somaliland’s Minister of Presidential Affairs Khadar Hussein Abdi (center), Somaliland Representative to Taiwan Mohamed Omar Hagi Mohamoud (far left), and Taiwan Deputy Foreign Minister Hsiao Bi-khim (far right). (Photo courtesy of Taiwan Coast Guard Administration)
Hargeisa (HOL) — Taiwan and Somaliland signed a landmark coast guard cooperation agreement on Thursday to bolster maritime security and expand blue economy initiatives, marking a deepening of unofficial diplomatic ties between two unrecognized governments seeking broader global partnerships.
The agreement, signed in Taipei by Somaliland Foreign Minister Abdirahman Dahir Adam and Taiwan Coast Guard Administration Director-General Chang Chung-lung, includes provisions for joint coast guard training, maritime rescue operations, and personnel exchanges. It aims to enhance Somaliland’s maritime defences along its 850-kilometre coastline on the Gulf of Aden.
President Lai Ching-te, who hosted the delegation, said the deal “marks a new chapter” in Taiwan–Somaliland cooperation and showcases the resilience of democratic alliances.
“No amount of pressure will change Somaliland’s commitment to Taiwan,” Minister Abdirahman said. “We stand together on shared values and mutual respect.”
The coast guard agreement expands Taiwan’s engagement with Somaliland beyond development aid, targeting maritime capacity-building in one of the world’s most strategically important waterways. The Gulf of Aden is a vital shipping corridor for international trade and is vulnerable to piracy and trafficking.
Somaliland claims an Exclusive Economic Zone that stretches 200 nautical miles offshore and holds potential for more than 200,000 metric tons of annual fish catch. The two sides hope to tap into the global blue economy, projected by the OECD to contribute $1.5 trillion to global GDP by 2030.
Taiwan has already invested over millions in Somaliland since 2020, supporting maternal health, agriculture, digital ID systems, and electoral infrastructure. During this visit, Somaliland officials also met with Taiwan’s International Cooperation and Development Fund to explore new projects in education, fisheries, and maritime logistics.
Thursday’s deal builds on a diplomatic relationship established in 2020, when Taiwan and Somaliland opened reciprocal representative offices in Taipei and Hargeisa. Though neither is recognized by the United Nations, both have advanced shared governance goals and institutional ties.
The trip marked Foreign Minister Abdirahman’s first visit to Taiwan since taking office in December 2024. The Somaliland delegation includes Minister of Presidential Affairs Khadar Hussein Abdi and Coast Guard Commander Admiral Ahmed Hurre Hariye. They met with President Lai, National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu, and Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung.
Lai praised Somaliland’s peaceful transfer of power in the 2024 elections, calling the country “a beacon of democracy in the Horn of Africa.” He said Taiwan hoped to work with like-minded partners, including the United States, through multilateral platforms to support a “non-red” (non-China-aligned) regional strategy.
The agreement is expected to draw sharp rebukes from Beijing and Mogadishu. In April, Somalia banned entry to Taiwanese passport holders, citing United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 and labelling the Taiwan–Somaliland partnership a breach of sovereignty. Taiwan responded with a reciprocal ban on Somali nationals, accusing Somalia of yielding to Chinese political pressure.
China, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory, has consistently backed Somalia’s stance.
Despite these headwinds, both governments have reiterated their commitment to strengthening bilateral ties based on democratic governance, economic cooperation, and shared international isolation.
Taiwanese President Lai said, “With today’s coast guard agreement and expansion into areas like maritime security and the blue economy, our nations are writing a new chapter in our partnership and showing the resilience of democratic alliances.” He added, “Our two sides must continue to deepen our partnership and demonstrate the resilience of democratic alliances, as well as our staunch commitment to defending our values.”
