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Greetings!
Attached please find my new article and publish it on your esteemed
website. As always,we gladly appreciate your superb journalism and
wonderful job.
Thanks for assisting your people.
Regards,
Nimo Osman Abdi
Somaliland Between Recognition and
Hope: Somaliland Status
The Somaliland’s democracy since 1991 has been more pragmatic and
peaceful than the Ken yan, Somalia, Zimbabwe, Sudan and Ethiopian
political processes. Somaliland has held invaria bly peaceful, free
and fair, and regular elections without any problem since 1991. The
count ry has sustained its development, security and governance for
long without any major prob lems. This non-sovereign African country
has depended on its local resources for 26 years without foreign
support compared to other independent but unstable countries with
resour ces which have depended on foreign aid, grants and loans to
run their local services, develo pment projects and governments.
African countries should learn from the Somaliland’s gove rnment on
how to run a locally people’s driven and local resources’ driven
African democr acy.
This nation peopled by over 3.5 million Somalis erstwhile
acculturated by the British has met the other three basic elements
of the modern statehood namely a permanent population, a defined
territory and a stable and functioning government. It is ripe for
sovereignty. It mus t be recognized as an independent and sovereign
state.
Although not perfect, Somaliland has done amazingly well in managing
the electoral proces s. Continued progress towards democratization,
including free and fair elections, will help to convince the
international community of Somaliland's bona fides as an independent
state. One area that requires constant attention is the suppression
of corruption. Although corru ption is pervasive in Somaliland, the
amounts involved appear to be modest and its overall record may well
be better than is the case in most developing countries.
As Somaliland continues to build democratic institutions, one of the
critical areas that requ ire attention is a free press, Somaliland is
currently facing problems with freedom of speech and endangering
that freedom is not for its best interest.
Moreover despite Somaliland’s envious existence and stable political
survival without much foreign support and in a democratic
environment, Somaliland people are very much aware of the impact of
an international recognition. They have been engaging the region and
the international community in various diplomatic ways for their
acceptance and recognition as an independent African state. It might
not be an amicable dissolution of the union because the union was
born without terms and conditions and also Somalia might still be
opposed to the “secession” of the the Republic of Somaliland. Maybe,
the world is waiting for the stabili ty of Somalia for the question
of the Somaliland to be settled, if so this is a forever unfair
against Somaliland and the people of Somaliland. But this is just a
hypothetical assumption.
Somaliland’s Status
Internationally, there is a hierarchy of status.
Recognised state: the recognised state is at the pinnacle, and
enjoys uncontested recognition of its status as a legal entity.
Partially-recognised state: the state is recognised by some, but
because its legality and/or independence is contested, it does not
have access to all international bodies. Kosovo is an example.
Unrecognised entities: such an entity may have the objective
characteristics of a state, but is unable to actualise this
statehood. Somaliland falls into this category
Somaliland argues for its right to recognition on the basis that it
voluntarily entered a fed eration with Somalia in 1960, and so
independence would be the result of Somaliland’s sece ssion, and
would not equate to the creation of a new state. This argument has
strength but without political support from other nations it is not
sufficient. Somaliland has a choice in pic king the focus of its
lobbying. It could aim to obtain recognition from an influential
external state, such as the US or Ethiopia and now the UAE, which
may help it achieve a status simil ar to Kosovo’s. Somaliland thou
will never, try to get consent from Mogadishu for its indepe ndence.
International recognized talks as two independent states, definitely
yes which woul d lead to wide international acceptance. Neither route
is simple or, at present, likely.
In conclusion there is nothing greater than the free choice of the
people based on convict ion. Whatever we the people of Somaliland
have chosen is what we are and what we dese rve. No one will choose
for us.
Nimo Osman Abdi
The author has obtained BA in LLB from University of Hargeisa,
MA in
International Relatio ns from University of Hargeisa (UoH). She can
be reached at:
qaali.shiine@gmail.com
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