Somaliland Is Lobbying for U.S. Recognition Next
“In this administration, basically what you have to do is convince the guy at the top.”
The breakaway territory of Somaliland, fresh off establishing formal ties with Israel late last year, is aiming for a much higher diplomatic prize. The government has hired a major firm with ties to the Trump administration to lobby in Washington for U.S. recognition, according to a recent Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) filing. Somalia hired its own lobbying firm to counter the offensive, marking a rival influence campaign that could potentially reshape U.S. policy in the Horn of Africa.
Nestpoint, a Dallas-based private equity and government affairs firm, was retained by Somaliland to “develop and execute a comprehensive strategy to secure international recognition…by engaging U.S. government stakeholders,” the filing states. The firm will receive $7,500 a month under the one-year contract that was signed in October and registered under FARA in December, and which also calls for pitching investment in Somaliland. In a December news release published on its website, Nestpoint said it had two goals for its new client: diplomatic recognition and economic self-reliance.
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