Recognition of Somaliland

Commentary

By T .D. Kenyon
(courtesy of SomalilandTimes.net)

After seventeen years of non-recognition by the international community, the people of Somaliland have a modus vivendi in spite of this huge disadvantage which they continue to suffer. Yet ordinary people worldwide recognize that Somaliland constitutes a very worthy addition to the United Nations as a peace loving and devout Islamic State, which excludes and deplores all fanatics and extremists.

One example of Somaliland's numerous handicaps is the Somali Djibouti owner of a medium sized business in the service industry at Hargeysa. He speaks French as his second language and has no English. He has installed a twenty year old Somalilander as manager, who speaks good English, to run the business. The owner lives in Djibouti, and manages a lucrative livestock export business through that port, which, incidentally, is livestock diverted from Somaliland, which should be exported at the port of Berbera if de jure Recognition were granted. He makes a considerable profit on the Hargeysa business because he pays the manager and staff very small wages; he avoids paying Somaliland tax on that business: the hard cash is removed to Djibouti without any customs control: he is so miserly as to dock the manager's wages when a client defaults on a bill, through no fault of the manager. As an absentee landlord and owner of the property and business in Hargeysa, he is a foreign parasite on Somaliland’s economy. Diplomatic relations between Somaliland and Djibouti are controlled by Djibouti, so Somaliland is powerless to rectify this corruption due to the absence of Recognition. (See Horn of Africa Bulletin 6/2004).
Somaliland - over the past seventeen years - has become inured to such malpractice to her detriment, rather than reunite with South Somalia (Mogadishu). Somaliland is thankful for the great mercy of separation from Mogadishu; therefore she is content to continue waiting until Recognition is achieved when justice will be normal.

The USA assistant secretary for African affairs is popular in Somaliland for her courteous visit to Hargeysa in February 2008 after the visit of Somaliland's President to Washington DC in January. On 11 March she spoke to the USA Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee on Africa. At the end of a long speech she stated:-

"….Somaliland has achieved a commendable level of stability, largely without external support or assistance, which the international community must help to sustain regardless of the question of formal recognition".

Formal recognition, to business people in the free world is a sine qua non for business. To the communist world - China - business in Somaliland is now flourishing without formal recognition. The appeal of Ms. Frazer "the international community must help….” will only come about after formal recognition, and not regardless of it.

This comment on Somaliland - albeit high sounding - is sadly worthless (except to China) until after Formal Recognition is approved. Somaliland needs Trade and thus less Aid.

The EU has resolved to withhold Recognition of Somaliland. EU have big and many issues near to home which concern the welfare of their citizens. Hence little time, shallow thought and poor understanding is given to the Recognition of Somaliland, which for them does not "exist". Maps show "Somalia" covering the country of Somaliland as well as South Somalia (Mogadishu) = "Rubbish geography".

Many EU countries contribute magnificently to Somaliland's welfare, but their voices are silenced when the trade of Italy with Mogadishu is at stake: Italy wishes that Somalia and Somaliland reunite for the sake of Italian business. To a lesser extent, but equally compelling in EU, the connection of Djibouti and France blocks Somaliland Recognition, also.

Britain - desperately wishing to appear amenable in EU and politica1ly anodyne in UN - throws Somaliland into the Somalia mess. (see letter 4040 of5 Oct 07 Horn of Africa desk FCO) "The UK has signed up to a common EU position..." states the British Foreign and Commonwealth office; so EU is closer than the loyal former Protectorate. (Witness Commonwealth War Graves, Hargeysa). The Commonwealth Conference, in 2007 at Kampala, was visited by the President and a delegation from Somaliland for the request for Recognition, which fell on deaf ears. - Most regrettably.

Egypt - strong voice in AU - has a firm policy that Somaliland and Somalia must reunite - not for the good of either country, but because this crazy policy keeps Ethiopia too busy in Mogadishu troubles to consider her (Ethiopia's) rightful harnessing of the Blue Nile head waters, which would improve Ethiopia's impoverished land. Hence Egyptian policy - impressed on the African Union- is to stop Somaliland Recognition. But - as the Foreign Minister of Ethiopia has stated - stability will come to Somalia when Somaliland is formally recognized. This is because Somalia will then suddenly realize that the chaos and mayhem in that region (in theory ruled by Mogadishu) can no longer be tolerated by the international community, who give credit to Somaliland for its peace and security, and who demand that Mogadishu learn the lesson of sensible government from Somaliland, whom Somalia has treated with contempt and disdain for 48 years, as inferior and insignificant. .

The Arab League -like the African Union -has little interest in Somaliland which does not exist on any map, and which does not grab headlines of war lords versus Union of Islamic Courts, like Mogadishu does. Again the voice of Egypt silences any talk in the Arab League, of Somaliland Recognition.

In the UN Security Council, Russia, China and France, all with veto power, have their own problems of applications for sovereignty and recognition, or for trade. The British Foreign Office states: -" The UK has signed up to many UN Security Council Presidential statements, which refer to the territorial integrity and unity of Somalia". (That is the defunct Somali Republic since 18 May 1991).

Unions, Federations and other groupings happened with de-colonization and post-world war modernization. Egypt and Syria joined in 1958; Somaliland and Somalia joined in 1960. In 1961 Egypt and Syria parted; in 1991 Somaliland and Somalia parted. In the West Indies, in South-East Asia, in Central Africa and other regions groupings were made, and some failed. UN accepted those failed groupings (e.g. Singapore, Jamaica, Malawi); so why is there a problem to separate Somalia and Somaliland? The answer is that Mogadishu (Somalia) refuses separation: this stance is backed blindly, selfishly, and corruptly by AU, AL, EU and UN.

So how did, for example, Timor-Leste (2002), Kosovo (2006) and Eire (1921) achieve separation form Jakarta, Belgrade and London? The lessons of those separations (and others) should help us to learn that stagnation and dithering are negative and fatal. Foresight, humility, individuality and courage are needed for a change of policy. The fighting to achieve independence in 1988 to 1991 for Somaliland is almost unknown, but it was, relatively, much more severe than the fighting leading to the disintegration of Yugoslavia, about which Mr. Kofi Annan said, "It will haunt our history for ever". The Balkans in Europe are less remote than the Horn of Africa. UN helped Kosovo: Somaliland has achieved and regained her 26 June 1960 independence and sovereignty ---alone.

Around the world, those who study the Somaliland request for Recognition (and are not corrupted or silenced by extremely dubious or evil policies of strong voices in UN, AU, EU, AL or other groups) know clearly and positively that world peace and stability will be splendidly advanced with Somaliland - a stable, democratic, free press, peaceful, Islamic state -- taking its rightful place in the international community of nations with World Formal Recognition. Failure to recognize Somaliland is a serious and unnecessary risk in this volatile and unstable area, which affects the whole of world peace.