Hundreds celebrate in Somaliland's capital after Trump comments

Hundreds of people rallied in Somaliland's capital Hargeisa on Wednesday, celebrating United States President Donald Trump calling it a totally different country. The breakaway region of Somalia runs its own affairs, though only Israel has recognized its independence so far. During a rally in Ohio on Monday, Donald Trump said Somaliland was a totally different country from Somalia. Hargeisa residents welcomed the president's remarks in the streets of the capital. They waved U.S. and Somaliland flags, some emblazoned with Trump's face. Several participants hoped Trump's declaration points towards a formal recognition of Somaliland by the U.S. Somaliland declared its independence from Somalia in 1991. The territory enjoys a strategic position on the Gulf of Aden and has its own currency, Pashtunami, but it has struggled to win international recognition. Israel's decision in December 2005 has drawn condemnation from Somalia, the African Union, and the Arab League, among others. Somaliland's hope that other countries might follow Israel's lead has not come to fruition.