The former British protectorate gained independence on June 26, 1960, and was recognized by over 30 countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States, and Egypt. Days later, Somaliland voluntarily united with the former Italian colony of Somalia. That union collapsed in 1991, after which Somaliland reclaimed its statehood and has since operated as a sovereign state.
To mark the 65th anniversary, a delegation has visited the UN headquarters in Geneva to deliver a petition calling on the world body to recognise Somaliland as an independent state. The delegation was led by Keysar Mohamed, Ambassador of Somaliland to the European Union.
Somaliland is a former British protectorate of roughly 3.5 million people that became
independent from Britain in 1960 and, following failed attempts at a union with Somalia to create what became an unwieldly “Greater Somalia” – resulting in 30 years of generally oppressive and unsatisfactory union – re-established its independence from Somalia in 1991.
Since then, it has built good governance, held democratic elections, and become a bastion of stability in the region. It has all the trappings not only of a sovereign nation, but of a stable, democratic nation – and yet, like most of the world, the United Kingdom refuses to recognise Somaliland as an independent state.
This position has become increasingly harder to justify in light of the Horn of Africa’s
growing geopolitical significance, and from a pragmatic view, recognising Somaliland simply
makes sense. It is located on the Bab el-Mandeb strait, a chokepoint for maritime trade, and is home to the rapidly developing Port of Berbera. It also possesses vast untapped reserves of natural resources such as oil, both onshore and offshore.
But recognising Somaliland also makes sense from a moral point of view. To recognise
Somaliland is to reward its efforts to build a stable democracy – to stand up for western
democratic values and what we believe is right. Similarly, recognising Somaliland entails
recognising the atrocities committed during the Somaliland genocide, the right of
Somalilanders to security and justice, and the right to self-determination. In this light, the
recognition of Somaliland should not be a question of “if”, but a question of “when”.
The recognition of Somaliland as an independent state should also be initiated by the European Union. The European Union should assess what it gains by supporting Somalia alone, when the security of the Horn depends entirely on the strength of Somaliland’s democracy.
Source: Endre Barcs