The already fragile balance in Somalia’s Sanaag region has taken a new turn after a U.S. drone strike targeted and killed a traditional clan leader in the northern territories. The incident has inflamed clan rivalries and added an international dimension to a local dispute that already pits Somaliland, Puntland, and the federal government in Mogadishu against one another.
At the heart of the crisis lies Sanaag’s strategic value: its access to a natural deep-water port on the Gulf of Aden, rich deposits of untapped minerals, and its role as a buffer zone between competing Somali administrations. Rival foreign powers — the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Turkey, and the United States — are now seen as instrumental in shaping local dynamics through a combination of aid, military presence, and political patronage.
The UAE, long aligned with Somaliland, has invested in port facilities and infrastructure in Berbera and Hargeisa, extending its reach eastwards into Sanaag through local allies. Turkey, meanwhile, maintains strong ties with Mogadishu and has sought to leverage its training of Somali security forces to influence resource deals and strategic positioning in contested regions.
The U.S., which officially frames its military operations in Somalia as counter-terrorism measures against al-Shabaab, is increasingly being accused by local elders of using airstrikes to shift the balance in favor of factions more aligned with federal authority in Mogadishu. The killing of the traditional leader, sources say, could embolden rival clans while undermining already fragile negotiations over Sanaag’s political status.
Sanaag’s internal clan structure remains the most decisive factor in the crisis. Traditional leaders, who command loyalty across vast rural populations, are key to deciding whether communities tilt toward Somaliland, Puntland, or the central government. Foreign powers, recognizing this, have courted them directly — either through development aid, security contracts, or outright financial support.
For now, the U.S. strike has deepened suspicions among locals that the international competition over ports and mines is being waged at the expense of community stability. Analysts warn that if Sanaag becomes a proxy battleground between Abu Dhabi, Ankara, and Washington, the result could be a prolonged destabilization of northern Somalia — and a further weakening of efforts to build a unified Somali state.
