For over three decades, the Republic of Somaliland has stood as a beacon of stability in the often-volatile Horn of Africa. Since reclaiming its independence from Britain in 1991, following the collapse of the Somali Democratic Republic, Somaliland has maintained peace, held democratic elections, and built resilient institutions. Despite these achievements, the Government of Somalia has consistently sought to undermine Somaliland’s statehood through diplomatic sabotage and aggressive regional interference.
Most recently, Somalia mounted a concerted lobbying campaign to obstruct the official visit of Somaliland’s newly elected President, Dr. Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi (Cirro), to Nairobi, Kenya. Somalia reacted by recalling its ambassador and threatening Kenya for hosting the delegation; an escalation that mirrors similar interference during former President Muse Bihi Abdi’s diplomatic visit to Kenya in 2020. This pattern reveals Somalia’s deep-seated hostility toward Somaliland’s international outreach and its blatant disregard for the sovereign right of regional states to pursue independent foreign relations.
Beyond Kenya, Somalia also expressed alarm over President Cirro’s engagement at the World Government Summit in Dubai, where he held official meetings with UAE leaders. These diplomatic efforts, rooted in regional cooperation and trade, were framed by Mogadishu as provocations demonstrating Somalia’s habitual resistance to Somaliland’s legitimate presence on the world stage.
Such behavior should alarm not only Somaliland and Kenya but the broader international community. Somalia’s interference represents a wider strategy of political denialism: pressuring countries and institutions to dismiss Somaliland’s reality, distorting historical facts, and stalling peaceful solutions. This sustained hostility damages regional diplomacy, sows mistrust, and obstructs economic and security integration in the Horn of Africa.
The time has come for clarity. Somaliland is not a “breakaway” entity. It was a distinct colonial territory; British Somaliland; that gained independence on 26 June 1960 before entering into a voluntary, but unratified and legally void union with the former Italian Somalia on 1 July 1960. That union quickly unraveled into domination and repression. Under the Siad Barre regime, Somaliland’s people faced systematic persecution and were subjected to horrific atrocities, including the massacre of tens of thousands in Hargeisa and other cities during the 1980s.
After the Somali state collapsed in 1991, Somaliland declared a return to its original sovereignty, grounded in the internationally recognized right to self-determination. Since then, it has demonstrated all the hallmarks of a sovereign state: defined borders, a permanent population, a functioning government, and capacity to enter into relations with other states.
Unlike Somalia; which remains plagued by insecurity, clan fragmentation, and heavy dependence on international peacekeeping forces; Somaliland has built internal peace and democratic resilience on its own. It has held multiple credible elections, witnessed peaceful transfers of power, and developed functioning national institutions including its own currency, central bank, passport, judiciary, and security forces.
Despite these credentials, the international community remains hesitant, often treating Somaliland as a peripheral actor in Somalia’s affairs. This ambiguity emboldens Somalia to disrupt Somaliland’s diplomacy, labeling every bilateral engagement as an “infringement” on its supposed sovereignty. But these claims collapse under legal and historical scrutiny.
In 2005, an African Union fact-finding mission to Somaliland concluded that Somaliland’s case for recognition is “unique and self-justified in African political history,” and that “the union between Somaliland and Somalia was not ratified” and thus never legally binding. The report emphasized the need for “a special arrangement for dealing with Somaliland’s status”, urging the AU not to ignore the political reality on the ground.
President Cirro, in his recent op-ed in The East African, echoed this sentiment:
“Somaliland is open to trade, innovation, and dialogue. We are not seeking conflict. We are seeking recognition for a reality that has existed for more than three decades.”
He went on to emphasize that the world’s hesitation not only stifles Somaliland’s development but also perpetuates instability across the Horn.
Under President Cirro’s new administration, Somaliland has closed the door on unproductive and one-sided talks with Mogadishu, recognizing that continued negotiations with a hostile and dismissive partner serve no purpose. The doctrine of state continuity, rooted in international law, supports Somaliland’s position; affirming its right to reclaim sovereignty when a political union becomes dysfunctional or destructive.
Somalia’s diplomatic tantrums—whether over Nairobi, Dubai, or Addis Ababa—serve only to isolate it further from reality. These acts deter potential partners from engaging with Somaliland and undermine efforts to build a cooperative Horn of Africa. Regional integration demands openness; not threats.
It is time for key actors; the African Union, IGAD, Ethiopia, Kenya, the European Union and USA; to move beyond symbolic neutrality. Somaliland meets the Montevideo criteria for statehood. What remains is for the world to act in accordance with both legal precedent and moral responsibility.
Recognizing Somaliland is not about dividing Somalia. It is about accepting a long-standing reality based on law, consent, and performance. It is about restoring borders that were once internationally acknowledged and respecting a population that has consistently voiced its desire for sovereign self-governance.
The world cannot afford to let misinformation, coercion, and historical amnesia define its diplomatic choices. The people of Somaliland have earned their place through sacrifice, persistence, and democratic commitment. Their call for recognition is not a rebellion—it is a return to legal and historical truth.
Somaliland is not asking for favors. It is asking for fairness.
By. Abdi Halim M. Musa
Political & Economic Analyst | Member Of Somaliland Intellectual Forum and
Former Deputy Minister of Commerce, Republic of Somaliland
E-mail: halimusa4@gmail.com
Date : June 7, 2025