# US Military Access to Berbera Port and Airfield Reported

> Somaliland Sun reported senior US military officials visited Berbera and Hargeisa in May 2022, but no agreement or subsequent developments are documented.

- By: Editorial Team, Somali Construction Review (https://somaliconstructionreview.com/about)
- Published: 30 September 2026
- Format: News story (reported from one named public source)
- Publication: Somali Construction Review (https://somaliconstructionreview.com)
- Subject: Infrastructure and Services
- Tags: ports, utilities, construction-risk
- Web version: https://somaliconstructionreview.com/blog/us-military-access-berbera-considered

## Key points

- On 19 May 2022 Somaliland Sun reported a high-level US military and diplomatic visit to Somaliland including tours of Berbera port and airport.
- The report cites an SCMP article claiming the US is courting Somaliland for port access as an alternative to Djibouti, but no formal agreement or negotiation status is provided.
- The article does not establish what has happened since May 2022 regarding US access to Berbera facilities.

On 19 May 2022, Somaliland Sun reported that a recent high-level visit by senior US military officers and diplomats to Somaliland was seen as "tunnel building towards a military presence by the United States."

Top Pentagon officials visited Hargeisa last week, toured the newly renovated port and airport at Berbera, and met Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi, according to the report. Somaliland officials led by President Bihi posed with US military and diplomatic officials after a meeting at Egal International Airport in Hargeisa.

The same article, citing a secondary source (SCMP author Jevans Nyabiage), stated that "The US is reportedly courting Somaliland to use its Berbera port as an alternative to its Djibouti military base." Somaliland Sun described Somaliland as an unrecognized nation strategically located in the Gulf of Aden in the Horn of Africa.

The report also noted that US President Joe Biden signed an order on Monday to redeploy hundreds of American troops to Somalia, reversing the withdrawal of some 700 troops by predecessor Donald Trump at the end of his term in 2021. The article provided no specific date for Biden's order.

What the report does not establish: it provides no formal agreement, negotiation status, or terms for US access to Berbera port or airfield. It gives no details on the scope or cost of the "newly renovated" port and airport, nor the identity of the senior US officials. The article relies on a secondary source for key claims and does not cite primary US or Somaliland government statements. No update is provided on developments after 19 May 2022, such as any agreements, construction, or policy changes.

## Questions

### Are negotiations underway for US access to Berbera?

The 19 May 2022 Somaliland Sun article describes the US as "reportedly courting" Somaliland, but it does not provide any information on formal negotiations, agreements, or terms.

### What facilities would be used?

The report mentions the port and airport at Berbera were toured, but it does not specify what facilities might be used or whether new construction or upgrades would be required.

### How does this align with the UAE's existing base at Berbera?

The article does not mention the UAE or any existing foreign military presence at Berbera.

## Sources

- [Somaliland: US Military may Get Access to Strategic Berbera Port and Airfield](https://somalilandsun.com/somaliland-us-military-may-get-access-to-strategic-berbera-port-and-airfield/) — Somaliland Sun, 2022-05-19