Somaliland congratulates McCarthy on his election as US house of representatives speaker

The Somaliland government has joined other African nations in sending a congratulatory message to Kevin McCarthy on his election as US house of representatives speaker. In a brief statement, the Minister of foreign affairs Essa Kayd said “we would like to send congratulations to McCarthy on his election as speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.”

Republican Congressman Kevin McCarthy has been elected speaker of the House of Representatives, overcoming the opposition of right-wing dissenters who had derailed for several days his bid to lead the chamber.

It took 15 rounds of voting for McCarthy to secure the job, despite his party having a majority in the chamber.

However, Somaliland and the United States seem to be enhancing their partnerships as the US President Joe Biden signed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Fiscal year 2023 into law that includes US cooperation with Somaliland, a move his Somaliland counterpart acclaimed.

The act requires the defense and state departments to submit an annual report detailing assistance, diplomatic engagement and security initiatives in Somaliland. It also requires the US government to produce a feasibility report by June 2023 on opportunities for enhanced security cooperation between Somaliland and the United States.