The Republic of Somaliland has formally submitted a letter to the UN Secretary-General, asserting its legal statehood based on its 1960 independence and the invalid 1960 union with Somalia.
Signed by Hassan Mahmoud “Hassan Formula” of the Somaliland National Platform, the letter argues that Somaliland’s sovereignty, recognized by over 30 states on June 26, 1960, was never legally revoked due to an unratified union treaty.
It calls for the UN to re-examine Somaliland’s status and facilitate its re-admission as a sovereign state. Amid recent US and Ethiopian diplomatic moves, this push highlights Somaliland’s 34-year quest for recognition as a stable democracy in the Horn of Africa.
The Legal Case for Somaliland’s Statehood
To: The Secretary-General of the United Nations
United Nations Headquarters
New York, NY 10017, USA
Cc: The Somaliland presidential palace.
Subject: Legal Status of the Republic of Somaliland.
Your Excellency, I write to respectfully draw your attention to the unresolved legal status of the Republic of Somaliland in light of international law, particularly regarding its recognition on 26 June 1960 and the subsequent events surrounding the attempted union with Somalia.
1. Recognition of Somaliland in 1960
On 26 June 1960, the State of Somaliland attained full independence from the United Kingdom. Within days, over 30 sovereign states — including the United Kingdom, the United States, Egypt, Israel, and Ethiopia — extended diplomatic recognition. At that moment, Somaliland was unquestionably a sovereign and recognized state under international law.
2. The Attempted Union with Somalia
On 1 July 1960, Somaliland and the Trust Territory of Somalia (under Italian administration) entered into what was presented as a union. However, a critical legal defect remains:
· Somaliland leaders drafted a “Law of Union” in Hargeisa (26 June 1960).
· Somali leaders drafted an “Atto di Unione” in Mogadishu (27 June 1960).
· A Joint Act of Union was proclaimed in Mogadishu on 1 July 1960.
Yet, under international law, a treaty of union requires signature, ratification, and deposit. The proposed Act of Union was never ratified by Somaliland’s elected parliament. Consequently, no binding treaty of union was ever concluded or registered at the United Nations Treaty Series (UNTS).
· Therefore, the “union” between Somaliland and Somalia in 1960 lacked legal foundation.
3. No Revocation of Somaliland’s Recognition
Recognition of a state, once conferred, is a solemn and enduring act. Somaliland’s recognition in 1960 has never been formally revoked by any state or international body. There exists:
No U.N. resolution nullifying Somaliland’s sovereignty.
No bilateral withdrawal of recognition.
No international legal instrument dissolving its statehood.
The international community merely treated the two territories as a single state for political convenience, without addressing the legal validity of such treatment.
4. Legal Consequence
In light of the above, the following conclusions are unavoidable under international law:
1. No valid treaty of union exists between Somaliland and Somalia.
2. No legal act has revoked Somaliland’s recognition of 26 June 1960.
Thus, Somaliland’s legal statehood remains intact. Its actions since 18 May 1991, when it restored its sovereignty after the collapse of Somalia, constitute a reassertion of its independence, not secession from Somalia.
5. Request to the United Nations
In view of these legal realities, I respectfully urge the United Nations to:
Re-examine the legal foundation of Somaliland’s case.
Recognize that Somaliland is not a secessionist entity, but rather a state whose sovereignty continues from 26 June 1960.
Facilitate Somaliland’s rightful re-admission to the international community of states.
Excellency, the case of Somaliland stands as one of the clearest in international law. The absence of a valid union treaty and the persistence of its original recognition place Somaliland in a category unlike other self-determination claims. It is a matter of restoring justice and legality in the Horn of Africa.
Respectfully submitted,
[Hassan Mahmoud “Hassan Formula”]
[Somaliland National Platform]
[28/08/2025]