All African Borders Rose from Colonial
Borders
The
Somali Sections of VOA and BBC Radios sometimes hold political
debates on Somaliland cause and its quest for diplomatic
recognition. Some participants in the debates raise insincere
arguments about the legitimacy of Somaliland national borders
calling it “Colonial Borders.” These individuals are either
ignor ant of the historical origin of current borders of African
States or purposefully mislead the listeners. The United Nations,
African Union, and African States did not draw or make the current
borders of African States. All the borders of Af rican
independent states had been drawn by the colonial powers of Europe
in the 19th century, before or after The Partition of Africa in
1884, and the inde pendence and recognition of each African
State today depend upon its own colonial demarcations or borders.
Likewise, all the borders of Asian and South American States also
emerged from colonial boundaries drawn by Britain, Fra nce and
Spain.
It is hypocritical that these anti-Somaliland debaters recognize the
legitimacy of the border between Somaliland and Djibouti but
challenge the legitimacy of the border running between Somalia and
Somaliland knowing that both borders were drawn by colonial powers.
The borders of Somalia, Somaliland and Djibouti have the same status
and legitimacy because they were all drawn by European Colonizers.
Most of such debaters are easily overwhelmed by unattainable
ambitions for tribal state that does not exist in Africa or
else where and their denial of the legitimacy of Somaliland borders
is completely in contrary to the historical realities of African
borders. Anyone who opposes the legitimacy of Somaliland borders,
its independence and its diplomatic recognition is challenging the
borders and sovereignty of all African indepe ndent states (54
states) whose borders rose from their colonial borders or
demarcations.
Some people confuse Somaliland with Puntland for either ignorance or
for futile political reasons. Puntland is an integral part of
Somalia because it is located within Somalia`s colonial borders
(Italian-drawn borders) with which Somalia achieved independence on
July 1st, 1960 and shares people and history with Somalia. Unlike
Somaliland Republic, which has the rightful claim of independence
and recognition for having its own, unique colonial borders with
which it achieved independence and diplomatic recognition on June
26, 1960, Puntland can not be recognized as independent state
because it is part of Somalia and because it does not have its own
and unique colonial borders that promote independence and
recognition in Africa, but it can be federal region within Somalia.
If tribal boundaries or tribal states were recognized in Africa, the
whole continent would collapse and be plunged into endless,
devastating clan wars. That is why the Organization of African Unity
solemnly declared in 1964 that all member states pledge themselves
to respect the borders existing on their achievement of national
independence. Here the borders existing on their achievement of
national independence are the colonial borders on which Somaliland
achieved independence on June 26, 1960. Another point to make,
Somaliland Republic can not let Puntland Administration integrate
with it because that would violate Somalia`s sovereignty and
borders.
Somaliland was the first of the five-Somali territories to achieve
independence from the British Empire on June 26, 1960 based on its
existing borders and, before the merger with Somalia on July 1st,
1960, the first Somali country to be recognized by the UN and 35
member nations immediately after independence like the rest of
African States. Independent Somaliland was also the first to pioneer
the unification between Somaliland and Somalia in quest for Greater
Somalia in the Horn of Africa. The union was doomed after Somalia
hijacked the governments for the thirty years of its existence
(1960-1990) and then committed atrocities against Somaliland people
when they rebelled against injustices perpetrated by Somalia.
Injustices and atrocities were the major causes that forced
Somaliland people to withdraw from the union with Somalia in 1991.
The failure of the union does not alter or change the status of
Somaliland for claiming legitimate borders, independence and
diplomatic recognition.
The Somaliland Congress held in Burao on May 18, 1991 unanimously
proclaimed the withdrawal of the Somaliland from the union with
Somalia and reclaimed its independence of June 26, 1960 renaming
itself: Somaliland Republic. The referendum held in Somaliland on
May 31st, 2001 reaffirmed Somaliland sovereignty from Somalia.
Somaliland is not a secessionist or a breakaway region from Somalia
as anti-Somaliland groups would like to portray it. It just withdrew
from the union it joined as an independent state on July 1st, 1960
after it failed in the hands of Somalia. Djibouti, Somaliland and
Somalia have the same status and legitimacy for independence and
diplomatic recognition.
Somaliland and Somalia are not the first two countries in this world
whose union ceased to exist. The Soviet Union of 15 Socialist
Republics and created by the Bolshevik Revolution led by Vladimir
Lenin in 1917 broke up after social upheavals with deep political
discontent and came to an end peacefully in 1989 with new countries
emerging from it such as Georgia, Ukraine, Armenia, Uzbekistan,
Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia etc. They are all recognized by the UN
and international community on the basis of their original borders
existing before the union. The federation of former Yugoslavia that
had 8 countries broke up after bloody civil wars (1991-1995) and new
countries such as Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia,
Slovenia, Kosovo etc emerged from its ashes. All are recognized
diplomatically too for their original borders existing before the
federation. This shows that the unity among countries in a union is
not sacred if they disagree but the unity within a country like
Somaliland, Djibouti, Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda etc is sacred
because each country is bound together by its own national borders
inherited from colonial powers.
Some Somalis believe that Somaliland should not withdraw from the
union with Somalia claiming that all Somalis share language,
religion, color, and culture. If this claim were true, the Arab
World (Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya,
Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab
Emirates, Yemen and Sudan) which has 17 separate independent
countries with the same language, religion, color, and culture would
have one union today. They do not have any federal union for
disagreeing to share one. Over 14 South American countries
(Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, Uruguay, Paraguay, Chile, Venezuela,
Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Nicaragua, El
Salvador etc) also share religion (Catholic Church), language
(Spanish), culture, and color but they are not required to share
union. Sharing language, religion, color, and culture is not
convincing factors to share or remain in a union. Justice and fair
power-sharing are the most important factors for a union to survive
and that is what Somalia failed to understand in the years of the
union. Islamic religion commends unity for enhancing strength and
power but does not support one that brings death and destruction
upon its partners like Somalia did to Somaliland in the decade of
1980-1990, particularly in the years 1988, 1989 and 1990. “Greater
Somalia” is like “Greater Arab World” or “Greater South America”
which no one knows when such dreams will come true. Some other
Somalis believe that only Somaliland and Somalia constitute “Greater
Somalia” excluding Djibouti and the occupied territories for
opportunistic reasons. Somaliland will not be an easy target again
as in the years of the old union.
The occupied Somali territories are of different case. For being a
devout Christian Kingdom, Ethiopia survived the European
colonization and with the European approval and military support, it
annexed the far Western Somalia in 1889 that includes Diridhaba,
Harar, Hawas etc. The near region of Western Somalia, which is Hawd
and Reserved Area, was colonized with Somaliland and then
amalgamated to Ethiopia in 1954 by the Britain. The Somali
Northeastern Region (N.F.D) was colonized by Britain too then
amalgamated to Kenya in 1963 by Britain. Ethiopia and Kenyan
governments are black colonizers in the Horn of Africa today. The
peoples of these two regions have the right to struggle for their
self-determination.
The place is Africa where tribalism and localism are more important
than nationalism and patriotism and where democracy, fair elections,
and rule of law are not respected. Chronic tribalism, brutal
dictatorships and crippling corruptions are common and normal
practice of the day. Any federal government can be easily overthrown
at any time by military coups, just like General Siad Barre did in
1969, with the immediate dissolution of elected parliament and
constitution. No one can guarantee that this will not happen again
in restive Africa. Neither Somaliland people nor the people of
Somalia can afford to have another risky union that leads them to
another military brutal dictatorship or to a government led by a
despot turned-elected president that plunges both peoples into other
violent, atrocious civil wars. After the departure of colonial
powers from Africa (Between 1950-1970), it fell to brutal African
dictators and leaders who killed all hopes and aspirations of
African masses that liberated it from Europe, and there is no light
at the end of the tunnel yet. Because of the past painful
experiences, peoples of Somaliland and Somalia need to have
separate, safe, prosperous sisterly states with mutual relations
like the Arab countries. Both nations must reject blind patriotism
for “Greater Somalia” which is not practical today.
Somaliland Republic will only discuss future relations with a
government of Somalia (Former Italian Territory) which is
democratically elected and which represents and controls the entire
people and territory of Somalia. Somaliland will not meet with a
government or parliament that includes individuals claiming to
represent Somaliland. Any meeting or discussions with Somalia
without fulfilling these two conditions would violate the basics of
Somaliland`s sovereignty.
Somaliland, as any African state, has the right to be diplomatically
recognized by the United Nations and international community for its
current borders that rose from colonial borders. If the African
countries do not recognize Somaliland Republic for its own colonial
borders as soon as possible, they should know that they put their
statehood and sovereignty based on their colonial borders in
question. For faster diplomatic recognition, Somaliland needs good
governance and fair elections held on time. Somaliland people do not
bow to external threats or give up their sovereignty for outside
pressure.
Ibrahim Hassan
Gagale
Email:
ibrahim_hg@yahoo.com
Date: July
14, 2009 |
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