Separatist Somaliland, in an attempt to gain international legitimacy, is looking to lure the U.S. by granting it access to mineral resources and military bases.
Israel became the only country in the world to recognize Somaliland's independence in December – something the territory has been seeking since declaring its autonomy from Somalia in 1991.
The government in Mogadishu still considers and international organizations like the U.N., see Somaliland as an integral part of Somalia.
"We are willing to give exclusive (access to our minerals) to the United States. Also, we are open to offer military bases to the United States," Khadar Hussein Abdi, minister of the presidency, told AFP in an interview Saturday.
"We believe that we will agree on something with the United States."
Separatist Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi already suggested in recent weeks granting Israel privileged access to its mineral resources.
And Khadar Hussein Abdi said he could not rule out the possibility of also allowing Israel to set up a military presence.
Somaliland lies across the Gulf of Aden from Yemen, where Houthi rebels have targeted Israeli assets to show solidarity with Palestinians.
Somaliland officials have said their soil is rich in lithium, coltan and other sought-after resources, though independent studies are lacking.
Shortly after Israel's recognition at the end of December, social media was flooded with photos of men and women displaying the Israeli flag – one of them even using it as a hijab.
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, on the other hand, denounced it as "the greatest violation of Somalia's sovereignty" and a "threat to the security and stability of the world and the region."
The African Union and most Arab countries threw their support behind Somalia and condemned the move.
The U.S., however, defended what it said was Israel's right to recognize Somaliland, although President Donald Trump said he was unlikely to follow suit, despite pressure from some within his Republican party.
Khadar Hussein Abdi reached out specifically to Türkiye, another country that objected to Israel's move, telling AFP that Turkish officials "must talk to us, not to Mogadishu" as Somalia had no functioning state.
"It is fragmented factions who sit in Mogadishu. They don't agree on anything," he said.
"So focusing on that does not help the security of the region."
