HARGEISA, Somaliland (Horndiplomat) — Somaliland and Taiwan have taken another significant step in strengthening their expanding security partnership as a Taiwanese Coast Guard delegation arrived in Hargeisa for high-level discussions on maritime cooperation, officials said on Saturday.

Admiral Ahmed Hure Haariye, Commander of the Somaliland Coast Guard, received the visiting delegation from Taiwan’s Ocean Affairs Coast Guard alongside senior officers of the force at the coast guard headquarters in the capital. The talks are part of a broad push by both sides to reinforce joint efforts in maritime security and expand operational coordination across waters linking the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and western Indian Ocean.

According to Somaliland Coast Guard officials, the meetings will focus on advancing areas of cooperation including maritime surveillance, specialized training, information-sharing, and capacity-building for coast guard personnel. The visit is intended to accelerate implementation of a recent maritime security cooperation agreement that both governments signed in Taipei earlier this year.

The 2025 agreement established a framework for closer collaboration between the two democracies, covering joint exercises, technical support, and enhanced coordination to safeguard critical shipping lanes used for global commerce. Security analysts say the deal reflects mutual concerns over rising geopolitical competition, regional instability, and attempts by external powers to expand influence along key maritime corridors.

Following the talks, Admiral Haariye and the Somaliland Coast Guard’s First Deputy Chief of Staff, Col. Khadar Mohamed Aw Ciise, hosted a dinner in honour of the Taiwanese delegation. Officials described the engagement as part of a broader effort to formalise long-term cooperation and strengthen working relationships between maritime institutions in both territories

The Taiwanese visit comes amid intensified diplomatic and security exchanges between Hargeisa and Taipei. In July, a Somaliland delegation led by Foreign Minister Abdirahman Dahir Adam held meetings in Taipei, where leaders on both sides reaffirmed their commitment to expanding maritime cooperation under the new security agreement. The discussions also referenced plans for broader coordination with like-minded partners to enhance regional maritime stability.

Somaliland and Taiwan, both self-governing democracies with expanding international partnerships, have increasingly aligned their political and security interests in recent years. Their emerging maritime cooperation is viewed by analysts as a strategic development in a region defined by rising competition over key sea routes, shifting security dynamics, and growing interest from major global powers in the Red Sea and Indo-Pacific corridors.

The latest visit underscores the growing importance that both sides place on securing regional waters at a time of heightened tensions, expanding military rivalries, and growing risks to international maritime routes.

Source  Horn diplomat