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"Otherwise We'll Have to Go to War" - Somaliland Demands Recognition 26 Years On
[All Africa] Somaliland's Foreign Minister talks about the self-declared state's struggle for recognition, domestic successes, and strategies towards Somalia.Shortly after the collapse of the brutal Siad Barre regime in 1991, Somaliland unilaterally declared independence from Somalia. It reinstated the borders that had existed when it was briefly a sovereign state in 1960, and its government called on the world to recognise it as a newly sovereign country. No one did. In the 26 years since, Somaliland has continued to call for recognition. In the meantime, it has succeeded in many of the ways the rest of Somalia has failed. It has maintained relative stability. It has held elections. And it has developed on various economic and social measures. And yet, still no one has heeded its calls to be accepted as a sovereign nation. African Arguments caught up with Dr Saad Ali Shire, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, to ask him about the campaign for recognition, the challenges facing Somaliland, and the government's relations with Somalia. [International recognition for Somaliland will boost prosperity in the Horn of Africa] You've been making the same argument for recognition for 26 years. Yet still no country recognises you. Are you going to keep making the same case or do you have a change of plan? Somalia and Somaliland were two independent states that united on 1 July 1960, even though legally the process was questionable. On 26 June 1960, the illusory sovereignty of Britannia over Somaliland had ceased and we assumed our own illusory sovereignty. It was only compromised when we joined Somalia. We were together for 30 years, under the democratic republic from 1960 to 1969 then under military dictatorship until 1991. In both cases, the union did not work for Somaliland and was very destructive towards the end. We asked why we should be part of a system that only harms us. It's been 26 years since we decided to leave the union. We've not been recognised as yet, but a lot has changed. Somaliland of 2017 is different to Somaliland of 1991. We've rebuilt the country and economy. We've had five one-man-one-vote elections. We have stability and have made a lot of social progress. We have 30 universities when we had none before and 1,000 primary schools. Politically, Somaliland is much more credible. In the early 90s when we came to the UK, we'd meet with junior officers. Now I meet with the minister. I think the world should be ashamed of itself for not recognising Somaliland. We're denied our rights by being denied illusory sovereignty. It's a humanitarian case in a way. What is there to lose? There's no country in the world that can say we don't like Somaliland because we're causing them damage. On the contrary. Full recognition can only help the international community deal with pressing challenges such as terrorism and piracy. The drought in Somaliland is another challenge. Tens of thousands have been displaced to camps where some say they are living in appalling conditions with no facilities, no security, and that the government is not doing anything to help them. I think the government is trying its best, and not just the government but the community. It's a miracle we survive. It's a miracle we lost only a few lives in this drought. Our people are very generous and supportive, and the government as well. Posted by: Fred 2017-05-23 |
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