Somalia’s breakaway northern territory of Somaliland is asking the United States for an exemption to President Donald Trump’s executive order on travelers from seven predominantly Muslim nations.
Somalia is one of the affected countries, but Somaliland considers itself an independent state after breaking away in 1991. It continues to seek international recognition for its claim.
A statement by Somaliland’s foreign affairs minister, Saad Ali Shire, says the republic wrote a letter on Monday to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly requesting the exemption to the travel ban.
The statement says Somaliland argued it “has not experienced the emergence of terrorist organizations,” in contrast to Somalia, where homegrown extremist group al-Shabaab continues to carry out deadly attacks.
