Ilhan Omar: The Shadow Ally of China, Sabotaging U.S. Interests in the Horn of Africa!

Ilhan Omar’s efforts to undermine a U.S.-Somaliland partnership represent a stark betrayal of American geopolitical interests. While openly championing Somalia’s agenda, she worked behind the scenes to block the U.S. from forging a strategic alliance with the stable and sovereign Republic of Somaliland. Her actions effectively handed China a golden opportunity to solidify it’s dominance in the Horn of Africa. Under Biden’s watch, this has only emboldened Beijing’s ambitions in the region. In a video addressing a Somalian audience, Omar openly boasted about her close ties to Somalia’s president and it’s regime, raising serious questions about her loyalty and whose interests she truly serves.

Rep. Ilhan Omar
refers to the President of Somalia as “our president”

“We have a special relationship. I call him
uncle and he calls me his
girl.”

“Somalia is our home. It is
our heart. We always think about Somalia.” pic.twitter.com/yxHqyk35OQ

—
End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) January
30, 2024

The timing couldn’t be better. After Ilhan Omar’s meddling undermined U.S. interests in the Horn of Africa, President Trump stepped in with a bold, strategic move that could shift the balance of power in the region. During his campaign, plans emerged to re-recognize the Republic of Somaliland – a state that has held its sovereignty since June 26, 1960, within his first 100 days in office. This wasn’t a symbolic gesture; it was a calculated response to China’s growing influence in Africa and a way to secure America’s position in a crucial geopolitical hotspot.

Yes, you read that right. This wasn’t just a symbolic gesture; it was a calculated move to secure a vital U.S. foothold in Africa as its position in Djibouti began to deteriorate.

Transactional Diplomacy? You Bet.

We all know Trump’s approach to foreign policy is far from traditional. His “transactional” style – make a deal, secure something in return, raises eyebrows but delivers results. So, what’s in this deal for the U.S. and Republic of Somaliland?

Here’s the play: Somaliland, a peaceful, stable country with a thriving democracy and a supreme strategic location, is offering the U.S. a military base in exchange for formal re-recognition. A U.S. base could not only strengthen the fight against China’s dominance in Africa, but it also puts the U.S. in prime position to counter Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen. It’s about securing key strategic maritime routes and maintaining U.S. power in one of the world’s most volatile regions and let’s face it – Trump knows exactly how to leverage situations to make a deal that works.

Somaliland: A Key Player in the Red Sea

Republic of Somaliland controls a crucial piece of the Red Sea, near the Bab El-Mandeb Strait – one of the world’s most important maritime choke points. Whoever holds sway here controls not just trade but power over oil shipping routes and naval movements in and out of the Mediterranean, Red Sea, and beyond.

But it’s not just about trade. It’s about military presence, global influence, and sending a message. By establishing a U.S. base there, the U.S. would disrupt China’s growing reach in the region, especially with China’s military base just a stone’s throw away in Djibouti. China has already set up its first and only military base outside its borders in Djibouti, directly facing Somaliland. This makes Somaliland strategic location even more critical for any country looking to maintain a foothold in the region. This is a much-needed counterbalance in an increasingly contested region. The significance of this choke point, China’s own foreign policy move to intimidate and coerce Republic of Somaliland into abandoning its ties with Taiwan has led to serious geopolitical flashpoints.

China’s Influence: A Game of Pressure

China is keen on limiting U.S. involvement and influencing Republic of Somaliland relationships. Their strategy? Pressure Somaliland to cut ties with Taiwan, halt its engagements with the U.S., and sow division in the region. Beijing knows that the more destabilized Somaliland becomes, the easier it is to curtail Western influence – and in particular, stop the U.S. military from gaining a foothold in a region of unmatched significance.

In 2023, the eastern regions of the Republic of Somaliland were plunged into a proxy war, one that China is still sponsoring it. But who helped trigger this geopolitical mess? Ilhan Omar. An outspoken advocate for a “Somalian-first” agenda, Omar didn’t just sit on the sidelines – she actively sabotaged the burgeoning U.S.-Somaliland partnership. How? She leaked confidential details about the U.S.-Somaliland partnership Act, which was making its way through Congress, directly to the Somalian government as a deliberate betrayal.

Our 12 May
meetings in Hargeisa & Berbera focused on mutual benefits from
closer U.S. cooperation w/ Somaliland authorities. Greater engagement
b/w
AFRICOM & Somaliland’s military and coast
guard will advance shared interests in regional stability, protecting
vital trade routes. pic.twitter.com/mVP05wTsmY

—
U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) (@USAfricaCommand) May
13, 2022

Omar, a key member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, had deep personal ties to Somalian interests. She saw herself as a self-appointed defender of Somalian nationalism in the U.S. Congress. Yet, her actions, working behind the scenes with the Somalian government, allowed China to exploit the situation by backing a militia to start its proxy war against Somaliland eastern regions. Why? Because Somalia, seeing the growing U.S.-Somaliland ties, feared it would threaten its own grip on U.S. foreign aid and regional influence. Somalia has long blackmailed the U.S., portraying any strategic partnership with Somaliland as a destabilizing force that could topple their fragile, failed state – forgetting that Somalia’s failure has been a decades-long saga that couldn’t possibly get any worse. (ISIS, Al-shabaab, Piracy, ties with the Houthis & Iran) This blackmail strategy, propped up by the failed and non existent “One Somalia” policy championed by Democrats and cemented by Hillary Clinton’s legacy which recognized the Somalian non existent government back in 2012 – despite its lack of legitimacy and no meaningful authority on the ground – the U.S. became a source of endless handouts funneled through corrupt UN offices, ATMIS forces, and the Somalian artificial government, all siphoning billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars with no real return or tangible benefits. By undermining that partnership, Omar knowingly allowed China to step in and tighten its hold in the Horn of Africa.

Xue Bing,
China’s Foreign Ministry Special Envoy for Horn of Africa
Affairs, demands that #Somaliland
sever all links with #Taiwan.
This week, a Chinese-backed militia attacked the city of Erigavo in
Eastern Somaliland. pic.twitter.com/WtLtppBHTL

—
Nabad iyo Caano (@VancitySam) December
19, 2024

🚨
BREAKING:

In a heartbreaking tragedy.. Najma Yar, an
innocent child from #Erigavo
in the Republic of Somaliland, was brutally shot and killed by
Chinese-backed mercenaries called Khaatumo
militias.

The militia, armed with weapons supplied by
the Chinese regime through their… pic.twitter.com/08gLWCRvqQ

—
Professor Checkmate – Hawd & Reserve Area 🎯 (@Checkmatedsl)
December
15, 2024

The Ilhan Omar Factor: A Complex Political Puzzle

Ilhan Omar’s actions in 2022 raise serious questions about her loyalty to U.S. interests. Her personal and intimate visit to Somalia as a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee and interference with the U.S.-Somaliland partnership helped China tighten its grip on the Horn of Africa. By blocking a strategic U.S. alliance, she effectively aligned with Somalia’s and China’s agendas, sabotaging American geopolitical goals.

#Somalia:
US congresswoman Ilhan Omar lands in Garowe, Puntland capital to warm
welcome. pic.twitter.com/TBiqkT67Fu

—
Somali Guardian (@SomaliGuardian) December
22, 2022

The real question now: Should the Trump administration investigate whether a sitting congresswoman is putting America’s national security at risk to serve foreign powers? These aren’t just political missteps. They could be a betrayal of U.S. interests.

Ilhan Omar tells a
crowd of Somalians that her top priority is to put Somalia first and
expand its territory

“The US government will
do what we want, nothing else. They must follow our orders. That is how
we safeguard the interest of Somalia.”

pic.twitter.com/OgcXhwueFo

—
End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) January
28, 2024

Stopping the Houthi Threat – Before It’s Too Late

The situation in Yemen continues to deteriorate, as Iranian-backed Houthis fire missiles at international vessels. With Somalia still struggling and the U.S. trying to fight from across the region, Somaliland offers a closer, more strategic base to push back against the Houthis’ expansion. This is security at its finest – stopping regional instability before it spreads and threatens vital trade routes.

Is Somaliland the U.S.’s Most Strategic Geopolitical Ally in the Horn of Africa? Absolutely.

For critics of Trump’s transactional diplomacy, here’s a quick reality check: in international relations, pragmatism is often a game-changer. Somaliland isn’t just another “breakaway region” trying to get recognized; It’s an emerging power in a strategic location, its statehood has never been in question, dating back to June 26, 1960 and has never ceased to exist. This state is aligned with international law, maintaining its credentials of independence and demarcated boundaries in accordance with the African Union’s 1964 borders. The U.S. and 30+ countries first recognized it. Trump isn’t changing history; he’s re-recognizing Somaliland, a key player in the Horn of Africa with undeniable geopolitical importance.

Somaliland’s own leadership understands the importance of this offer. It’s a classic win-win: Somaliland gets re-recognition, while the U.S. gets a military base on Africa’s most critical stretch of coastline.

Trump’s Legacy: A Foreign Policy Revolution?

What Trump has on the table could change the entire dynamic of U.S. power in the region. If his administration re-recognizes Somaliland, it shifts U.S. alliances in Africa and puts America’s interests first. It’s not about feeling good about some hypothetical nation’s failures – it’s about winning the strategic game. Trump’s re-recognition of Somaliland would act as a warning shot to adversaries while also affirming that global alliances should be based on mutual, actionable interests.

The Bottom Line:

The U.S. needs Somaliland, and Somaliland needs the U.S. But this isn’t just a political gesture – it’s a bold, savvy, and strategic move that signals a new era for American foreign policy. The world needs to recognize the shifting tectonic plates of geopolitics – and if President Trump capitalizes on this opportunity, it could redefine U.S. influence in Africa and beyond.

The real question is: will the U.S. act before it’s too late, or let this opportunity slip through its fingers? The time for re-recognition is now

Author

A geopolitical writer, analyst and a researcher advocating for Somaliland recognition