Senator Ted Cruz has told the nominee to be US ambassador to Somalia that Washington should formally recognise Somaliland, pressing Devin Kennington on the issue at a Senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday 10 November. Cruz said President Donald Trump was "exactly right" that Somaliland is not Somalia, and argued that it was time for the United States to recognise the territory formally, according to a transcript of the hearing published by [Horn Post](https://hornpost.com/ted-cruz-somaliland-recognition-us-senate-hearing/). The hearing was held by the [US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations](https://www.foreign.senate.gov/hearings/nominations-11-10-2026). ## What Cruz and Kennington said Cruz told the hearing that, despite the president's clear position, the State Department "has not moved forward with recognition". Kennington, nominated as ambassador to the Federal Republic of Somalia, said Somaliland had "effectively governed its territory since 1991", but stressed that current US policy recognises the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Somalia, which includes the region of Somaliland. Kennington confirmed that Israel had recognised Somaliland, and pledged that, if confirmed, he would enhance US engagement with the Somaliland authorities, including through in-person visits. ## Why Somaliland matters to Washington Cruz pointed to Somaliland's position along the Gulf of Aden, near one of the world's busiest shipping corridors, and its role in regional counterterrorism and anti-piracy efforts. He also noted its close ties with Taiwan and Israel, which formally recognised Somaliland in December 2025 — the only UN member state to have done so. Cruz said he had met Somaliland's president in September to discuss the territory's strategic importance, and noted that Trump himself had called Somaliland a "totally different country" from Somalia. Somalia maintains that Somaliland remains part of its internationally recognised territory, so any change in US policy would be a major shift in the Horn of Africa.