In an exclusive interview with The Advocate Post, Marc Cools, President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, underscores that lasting stability in the Horn of Africa depends on credible governance — a standard Somaliland has long upheld.
Hargeisa — In an exclusive interview with The Advocate Post by Abdul Rafay Afzal, Marc Cools, President of the Council of Europe’s Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, offered candid reflections on the Horn of Africa’s enduring instability, pointing to Somalia’s governance crisis and the contrast with Somaliland’s democratic resilience.
Discussing the persistent challenges in Somalia — from Al-Shabaab’s insurgency to divisions between regional states such as Jubbaland and Puntland — Cools emphasized that true stability cannot be imported.
“Foreign support is only ever a form of support. It is primarily up to the Somalis to take control of their own destiny,” Cools said. “Europe can support them, but it can only do so by backing a Somali government that is honest, determined to take action, and enjoys broad public trust.”
Cools’ remarks come as Somalia continues to rely on extensive international military and financial assistance yet struggles to achieve national cohesion. His observation — that external aid cannot replace local legitimacy — resonates strongly when juxtaposed with the Somaliland model, where stability has been sustained from within, without reliance on international intervention.
Somaliland: A Model of Local Ownership and Democratic Maturity
In striking contrast, Somaliland — the self-governing region in the north — has maintained peace, democracy, and regular transfers of power for over three decades. While refraining from direct comment on recognition, Cools acknowledged that Somaliland’s territory “is currently more stable than the rest of Somalia,” a statement that implicitly underscores its unique governance success.
“Europe has everything to gain from stability in the Horn of Africa,” Cools added, suggesting that deeper engagement by the European Union, alongside regional actors such as Ethiopia, Kenya, the UAE, and the United States, could contribute to broader regional peace.
While noting that the EU formally upholds Somalia’s territorial integrity, Cools’ emphasis on effective governance, stability, and local legitimacy mirrors the very qualities Somaliland has embodied — often described by observers as a functioning democracy in a turbulent region.
A Call for Pragmatic Engagement
Analysts view Cools’ remarks as a subtle but significant nod toward a more pragmatic European approach: recognizing and engaging with territories that have built stability and democratic institutions on their own merit.
With the Bab al-Mandab strait emerging as one of the world’s most strategic maritime chokepoints, Europe’s economic and security interests are directly tied to stability in Somaliland’s neighbourhood.
Somaliland officials and international policy experts alike argue that expanding EU engagement — through development partnerships, municipal cooperation, and academic exchange — could help reinforce peace across the Horn of Africa, complementing the work of regional powers already active in Hargeisa.
In conclusion, Marc Cools’ interview underscores a quiet but growing realization in European policy circles: that the path to a stable Horn of Africa lies not merely in declarations of sovereignty, but in governance that works. And by that standard, Somaliland continues to stand out — not as a problem, but as a potential partner.