As a poet and chronicler of our shared Somali heritage, I have long observed the currents of history shaping the Horn of Africa. Today, those currents surge with unprecedented force: On December 26, 2025, Israel became the first nation to formally recognize the Republic of Somaliland as an independent sovereign state, signing a mutual declaration with Somaliland’s President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi. This breakthrough, framed in the spirit of the Abraham Accords, has ignited global debate and drawn sharp rebukes—most notably from Djibouti under President Ismail Omar Guelleh.
Djibouti’s government, alongside allies, has condemned the move as a violation of international law, a threat to Somalia’s territorial integrity, a breach of Africa’s colonial border norms, and a catalyst for regional instability. While these objections carry the weight of regional solidarity, they rest on selective readings of law and history. In the spirit of honest reflection that defines our poetic tradition, let us examine them with clarity and rigor.
I. Recognition as a Violation of International Law?
Djibouti claims that recognizing Somaliland defies core principles of international law. Yet no treaty, custom, or judicial ruling prohibits recognition. It remains a discretionary, unilateral act of sovereign states. The Montevideo Convention (1933) outlines the criteria for statehood—permanent population, defined territory, effective government, and capacity for international relations—all of which Somaliland has fulfilled since 1991. The International Court of Justice’s Advisory Opinion on Kosovo (2010) confirms that declarations of independence and subsequent recognitions do not inherently violate international law. Djibouti’s assertion lacks solid legal footing.
II. Territorial Integrity of Somalia
The principle of territorial integrity is invoked as absolute. However, the ICJ’s Kosovo opinion (paragraph 80) clarifies: “The principle of territorial integrity is confined to the sphere of relations between States.” Somaliland did not seize territory; it reclaimed the borders of the former British Somaliland Protectorate, which enjoyed brief independence from June 26 to July 1, 1960, before uniting with Somalia. This is restoration, not conquest.
III. The Sanctity of Colonial Borders in Africa
Djibouti cites the 1964 Cairo Resolution of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), which sought to preserve colonial borders to avert chaos. Somaliland fully respects this: its boundaries mirror those of British Somaliland, just as Djibouti’s mirror French Somaliland. The African Union’s 2005 fact-finding mission, led by Patrick Mazimhaka, affirmed Somaliland’s compliance and described its case as “historically unique and self-justified in African political history.”
IV. Sovereignty Over Part of Another State’s Territory
Effective control defines sovereignty, as upheld in ICJ precedents like Island of Palmas and Western Sahara. Since 1991, Somalia has exercised no meaningful authority over Somaliland. Hargeisa governs with its own military, judiciary, elections, currency, and secure borders—a lived reality, not a nominal claim.
V. Risk of Regional Destabilization
The fear of chaos is political, not legal. History disproves it:
Eritrea’s 1993 independence did not fracture Africa;
South Sudan’s 2011 secession, despite challenges, did not spark widespread balkanization;
Kosovo’s recognition has not unraveled Europe.
International law evaluates facts and principles, not speculative anxieties.
Israel’s recognition is a pivotal step, yet Djibouti’s response—shared with Somalia, Egypt, Turkey, and others—reflects deeper regional tensions: concerns over precedent, economic competition, and geopolitical shifts. But legal merit endures beyond politics. Somaliland’s stability, democratic governance, and adherence to African norms make its case compelling.
In our Somali poetry, truth emerges in quiet persistence, not clamor. Somaliland’s path embodies such truth. The time has come for the region and the world to acknowledge it.
Hassan Dahir Weedhsame is a Somali poet, songwriter, and literary critic based in Hargeisa. His works explore identity, justice, and the enduring aspirations of the Somali people.