Overdue recognition of Somaliland border: A silent witness to its fate
Abdulazez Al-Motairi

April 15, 2008


U.S. Policy shift

Recently, Somaliland diplomacy regulators attracted Bush Administration. Washington Post newspaper published US Policy shift from what they called "Shaky Transitional Government in Baydhabo" to democratic and stable Somaliland. This official approach is to congeal ties with Somaliland, and US Military Personnel stationed neighboring Djibouti expressed interest on security coordination with Somaliland government who can offer greater potential for U.S. military assistance to bolster security and counterterrorism operations in horn of Africa during the fresh U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates visit in Djibouti. Somaliland Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed the U.S. initiatives.

"Somaliland should be independent," said defense official. "We should build up the parts that are functional and box in" Somalia´s unstable regions, particularly around Mogadishu. These are expressions of U.S. Military officials during Gates visit to Djibouti, obviously shows signs of change in U.S. diplomacy towards Somaliland. Gate met with President of Djibouti and reliable sources ensured that recognition of Somaliland was on discussion table.

Remarkably, Washington decision makers look divided over Somaliland case. Assistant Secretary of State Department Jendayi E. Frazer highlighted that U.S. will leave the file of Somaliland Recognition to the Africans to decide, as the file may open chain of disintegration in the black continent. As African Union (AU) accepts only colonial-era political border, but the fact is that AU and Frazer should know current Somaliland border was demarcated during colonial-era even before Somalia border was drawn. Somaliland had clear and well marked border before many Africans had. British Somaliland and Italian Somaliland joined without agreement to delimit colonial border, which gives Somaliland full rights to reclaim its pre-independence border.

Current border of Somaliland was marked more then a century ago and recognized by UN and AU. Somaliland was the fourth African state to gain independence in 1960 and more than 34 countries around the world recognized and welcomed as independent country with current defined border with Somalia, Ethiopia, Yemen and Djibouti but unfortunately Somalilanders merged with Italian Somaliland in a last ditch attempt to save the failed hypothesis of Greater Somalia, which destabilized the region and did not last long due its forged origin.

If recognized, Somaliland will lead new revolution of democracy in the region and be an example of many East African people who are under dictator or King. Somaliland support will end the blazing conflict in Somalia, besides knowing the instability in Somalia may spread like wild fire in entire region. What happen to Former Somalia is like cancer disease that need to cut off the save parts of the body, this clearly mentions that Somaliland is health part today and I deem it should be saved before it get the infection.

AU and Somaliland border

It is important to note that AU sent a fact finding mission to Somaliland in 2005 led by His Excellency Patrick Mazimhaka, Deputy Chairman of AU, in order to respond to the concern that Somaliland recognition would create a fragmentation of Somalia, or other AU member states, the African Union fact finding mission in 2005 concluded "the case should not be linked to the notion of "opening a Pandora box", and the report recommended that AU "should find a special method of dealing with this outstanding case" as soon as possible and even approached for Somaliland diplomatic recognition. Unfortunately, AU actions stopped there! They stalled their mission deliberately in order to preempt a decision in favor of creation of Somaliland.

Why we Africans can not decide for ourselves, while Europeans are doing so and EU leading the way for Kosovo recognition. I hope I can one day be proud of our African leaders through the African Union leadership when I see that they are taking a far sighted approach like the EU doing on Kosovo in saving the free and democratic societies like Somaliland.

Sadly, the UN and the African Unity (AU) were silent witnesses to Somaliland and without proper reason. Former Organization of African Union – OAU´s Cairo resolution of 1964 in Cairo supported Eritrea´s claim to its colonial borders why not Somaliland´s case. Eritrea won its independence back from Ethiopia based on terms of Cairo resolution at same manner, Somaliland is ready to implement the same resolution and win back its lost border from fledging Somalia. Somaliland approached AU many times on maintaining the colonial-era borderline. The question again is! If AU and UN implemented Cairo resolution to Eretria, why not Somaliland? Recently Prof Konare correctly raised the matter of Somaliland at the last 2007 AU Executive Council Meeting of Foreign Ministers in Accra, Ghana but Africans remained response-less to the case.


Today, after half a century AU is not willing to support Somaliland based on Cairo resolution. Perceptive, Somaliland received recognition during independence in 26th June 1960 from many Africans.

Assistant Secretary, Frazer should know that Somaliland is not new in the colonial border limitations but existed even before Somalia. She should understand that Somalilanders joined Somalia without any third party involvement but to save the unity of Somalis and retained their lost sovereignty in 18th May 1991. Somaliland is not new government in the AU but a country that joined with another country for certain goal just like union of Egypt and Syria or Gambia and Senegal. Somalilanders discovered that they were deceived only after three months of the failed unity with Somalia, power sharing was not done equally, and entire important cabinet posts went to southerners who had no proper education and qualification unlike Somalilanders.

Former U.S. Ambassador and Special Envoy to Somalia Dan Simpson during 1995 in his article "The ghost of Somalia" July 12, 2006 called U.S. and International Community to support Somaliland to depart the chaotic country in transition "Somalia". Simpson highlighted that if Somaliland stable as its now during his era, he could have influence the Washington administration to recognize Somaliland but unfortunately there was fighting and civil war inside Somaliland. As per my view, this is old U.S. Politicians style who says the fact after power instead of doing at right time. Example, Former US President Jimmy Charter supports Palestine cause now and backed the Jewish fanatics during his presidency. Even today, he got his own book about Palestine that angered the Israelis.

While Somaliland was a separate colony with internationally recognized borderlines, the AU member states should consider Somaliland as independent government based on 1964 OAU Cairo Resolution. AU leader block Somaliland because they concerned about their own borders, does not want a separate nation state to be founded out of Somalia. Such unstudied and selfish theory contradicts freedom and lets the African leaders to save guard their kingdom at the expenses of Somaliland – Somaliland will not be black sheep of such failed theories – because we – as people of Somaliland – are committed to achieve our objectives regardless of obstacles and time it takes. Somaliland Foreign Minister made this point clear that Somaliland will remain independent with or without international community.

The quicker the African Union come up with solution to the Somaliland case, the more it makes the situation in East Africa better, and reduces risk of war, and even equally important the faster the AU recognizes the border line.

As Analyzer of African Affairs, I can say Somaliland file is a timed bomb for the African Union and International Community and they cannot really afford to ignore. On other hand, Somaliland Multiparty democracy is rarity in Africa, and the Muslim World, and AU needs to seriously consider Somaliland´s formal application of AU membership to reward such rare democracy shined at first time in east Africa. Somaliland is nation that power goes to the people.

In December 2005, President Dahir Rayale Kahin officially submitted Somaliland's application for membership in the AU. The claim to statehood hinges on the territory's separate status during the colonial era from the rest of what became Somalia and its existence as a sovereign state for a brief period following independence from Britain in June 1960. Having voluntarily entered a union with Somalia in pursuit of the irredentist dream of Greater Somalia - including parts of Ethiopia, Kenya and Djibouti - Somaliland now seeks recognition within the borders received at that moment of independence.

My final word

Democracy teaches that hard worker should be awarded, and international community should look into Somaliland case very carefully if they want free and healthy region in horn of Africa. People can stay together if and only if they wish to do so…… Ladies and gentlemen, "You can not force a chicken to drink water even if hold its neck". What about Somaliland? What about the brave citizens "The terminators" who blow up the most powerful military in Horn of Africa? Recognition of Somaliland is the only solution for health east Africa.

 

By Abduaziz Al-Mutairi
Email: az.almutairi@yahoo.com