Embassy Row: Shadow democracy in Africa
A small but stable democracy lies in the shadow of Somalia in the
volatile and terrorist-infested Horn of Africa.
It formed a government based on the U.S. Constitution. It feeds more
than 3.5 million residents and exports 4 million head of livestock a
year to its biggest customer, Saudi Arabia.
It holds elections, and defeated incumbents peaceably transfer power
to the oppositi on.
Yet for all its pretense to nationhood, Somaliland remains
unrecognized diplomatically by all of the 193 countries of the
United Nations. It is a stepchild of Somalia, which spent the past
22 years in anarchy, war and famine, while Somaliland quietly built
a functioning democracy.
“It is a model for the region,” Somaliland Foreign Minister Mohamed
A. Omar told Embassy Row this week.
On a Washington visit with Somaliland President Ahmed Mohamed
Mahamoud Silanyo and other government ministers, Mr. Omar explained
that the purpose of the trip was to provide U.S. officials with an
update on the region’s progress and to lobby for U.S. recognition.
He said many nations in Africa are “holding back” recognition,
“waiting for a signal from the West.”
“Somaliland’s case is not being hindered by legal issues. It is a
political issue,” he said.
Present-day Somalia was created in 1960 by the union of the former
colonies of British Somaliland and Italian Somaliland. Mr. Omar said
the goal then was to create a greater Somalia by drawing in ethnic
Somalis in neighboring areas.
That goal failed. Somalia collapsed into a military dictatorship
under Mohamed Siad Barre, who was overthrown in 1991. Somalia became
a lawless nation, beset by pirates and terrorists. Massive
international diplomacy and some military intervention have brought
some stability to Somalia, which adopted a new constitution last
year and held presidential and parliamentary elections.
Somaliland, meanwhile, declared independence in 1991 and spent the
past two decades working out details with various clan leaders for a
new government — modeled after the U.S. Constitution, with a
president, bicameral legislature and independent judiciary. It held
its first multiparty presidential election in 2003.
The CIA World Factbook 2013 says Somaliland, about the size of
Virginia and West Virginia combined, has “maintained a stable
existence and continues efforts to establish a constitutional
democracy.”
Mr. Omar said the only hindrance to international recognition is
Somalia’s reluctance to disband the union.
Somalia’s new president, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, is holding talks
with Mr. Silanyo on the union’s future. They met two weeks ago in
Ankara, Turkey, and plan another meeting in July.
Somaliland also is providing information to the West about terrorist
activities in the region.
“Somaliland is a credible partner in the fight against terrorism,”
said Mr. Omar, adding that no violent extremists are based in his
country. “Somaliland is a democratic, Muslim nation in a region with
terrorism.”
Although Somaliland is officially unrecognized, dozens of foreign
countries have offices in the capital, Hargeisa. Somaliland also is
attracting foreign business because of oil and gas reserves.
Mr. Omar met Thursday with Undersecretary of State for Political
Affairs Wendy Sherman, the third highest-ranking diplomat at the
State Department. Mr. Silanyo earlier this week delivered a major
speech before the prestigious Atlantic Council.
“The visit has been quite successful,” Mr. Omar said.
Source: The Washington Times
|