Subhead:Locals in Somaliland back mineral access offer and push for long-sought U.S. recognition.# YouTube-embed:3SVIjV2mTR0 Donate Sign the Petition Reports Making headlines over the weekend, Somaliland’s government declared it is prepared to offer the United States exclusive access to its rare minerals and even the possibility of hosting American military bases. As part of my reporting mission in Somaliland, a functioning democracy largely ignored by the world, I took the question straight to the streets. I asked business owners, community leaders and everyday locals what message they would send to U.S. President Donald Trump as their leaders intensify a push for formal recognition. The response was strikingly unified. “Please follow the Israelis,” one local businessman told me, referencing Israel’s recognition of Somaliland late last year. “We have so many minerals. We have so many natural resources. We can be a good partner … let’s be recognised by you.” Another man framed the pitch squarely in American interests. “If you need to understand your politics, your economics, your finances, whatever concerns the American interest, you should recognise Somaliland,” he said. “We have opportunities not only in finance, but also natural resources as well.”