Somaliland: the territory that declared independence more than 30 years ago and became recognized by Israel

Flag of Somaliland Getty Images via BBC This semi-desert territory, roughly the size of Nicaragua, declared its independence in 1991. However, more than 34 years after that tumultuous declaration, Somaliland had not been recognized as a state by any other nation. That changed on Friday (26), when Israel became the first to formally recognize it as an independent country. ✅ Follow g1’s international news channel on WhatsApp Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi described Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement as a “historic moment”. The decision was condemned, however, by the foreign ministers of Somalia, Egypt, Turkey and Djibouti, who, in a statement, stated their “total rejection” of Israel’s announcement. Israeli recognition could encourage other nations to follow suit, strengthening the separatist region’s diplomatic position and its access to international markets. We explore the curious history of this 137,600 km² territory, home to around 3.5 million people, considered a true anomaly in the Horn of Africa. The origin See the videos that are trending on g1 Located between Ethiopia and Somalia — a state of which it is officially part —, Somaliland was a British protectorate until its independence on June 26, 1960. But this autonomy was short-lived, as five days later it merged with Italian Somaliland, also newly independent. It was a union that many Somalilanders regretted as soon as it was finalized. Differences with their southern neighbors began almost immediately after Parliament passed the law that founded the Somali Republic. On July 20, 1961, one year after the creation of the new State, a referendum was held to draft a new Constitution. Despite widespread rejection by Somalilanders, the text was approved, becoming the constitution of the young republic. And less than a decade later, the country collapsed. In 1967, Abdirashid Ali Shermarke was elected president and appointed Somali Mohamed Haji Ibrahim Egal as prime minister. But two years later, the president was assassinated by his bodyguard in a coup led by General Mohamed Siad Barre, who seized power. Thus, Somalia became the Somali Democratic Republic. ‘I will leave buildings but not people’ Somali soldiers train in Jijiga during the Ogaden War (1977), a conflict linked to the territorial aspirations of a unified Somalia following its merger with Somaliland, which ended in 1978 with Ethiopia’s retaking of the territory Getty Images via BBC Siad Barre’s de facto government exacerbated discontent in Somaliland and fueled the desire of many Somalilanders to follow a different path. That controversial Marxist-Leninist military officer caused discontent not just in Somaliland but throughout the country, and this discontent sparked a revolution. “When I leave Somalia, I will leave buildings, but not people,” Barre promised in the late 1980s. A report commissioned by the United Nations and published earlier this century determined that “the crime of genocide was conceived, planned and perpetrated” by the Somali government against the Isaaq people in northern Somalia between 1987 and 1989. During this period, the Somali air force carried out large-scale bombing raids against Hargeisa, the capital of Somalia. self-proclaimed Republic of Somaliland, killing thousands of civilians and partially destroying the city. After several years of bloody conflict, in 1991, Siad Barre was deposed, which led to a civil war. Lack of international recognition The end of military rule also led Somaliland to unilaterally declare its independence. Back then, it was, and still is, an oasis of relative calm in one of the most turbulent regions in the world. More than three decades later, Somaliland functions almost like an independent country, without being one, at least officially. It has its own political system, parliament, its own police force, flag, currency and issues its own passports. The lack of international support was worsened by the diplomatic crisis with Somalia following the agreement signed in January 2024 between Ethiopia and Somaliland, which granted Addis Ababa (Ethiopia’s capital) access to the sea through the port of Berbera and paved the way for eventual recognition. Mogadishu (Somalia’s capital and seat of its federal government) denounced the agreement as a violation of its sovereignty, considering Somaliland an inseparable part of Somalia. Although Israel became the first country this week to formally recognize Somaliland as a sovereign nation, the rest of the international community does not recognize its independence, including the United Nations, the Arab League and the African Union. Comparisons with Taiwan The case of Somaliland is often compared to that of Taiwan. Both appear to be fully functioning states and proudly declare their independence from their larger neighbors, Somalia and China, who insist that the rebel areas are part of their territories. Recognizing this, Hargeisa (capital of Somaliland) and Taipei (capital of Taiwan) strengthened their relationship and officially established diplomatic ties in 2020, provoking the ire of their neighbors. The Taiwanese representative to Somaliland, Allen Chenhwa Lou, described the relationship between the two territories as “win-win” in an interview with the BBC last month. “We don’t need to seek independence now because we are already independent. What we both need is recognition. We both share this difficult situation,” he added. An oasis of stability A Somaliland woman, dressed in the local flag, celebrates in front of a polling station in 2001, on the eve of the constitutional referendum that sought to legitimize the unilateral secession of the territory from Somalia Getty Images via BBC In addition to the political issue and institutional independence, Somaliland is also much more stable than the rest of Somalia. It is considered by experts to be an example of democracy in the region. Its leaders come to power through disputed elections, the results of which, unlike other African countries, are respected, even when the opposition wins. And, despite being a city with widespread poverty and a very high unemployment rate, Hargeisa is one of the safest cities in the region. As BBC journalist Mary Harper wrote in 2016, on the 25th anniversary of the territory’s declaration of independence: “Somaliland has relative peace and stability.” “Sometimes I travel between Somalia and Somaliland on the same day, and the contrast couldn’t be greater. In Somalia, as a Western journalist, I can’t get around without six heavily armed bodyguards (…). In Somaliland, I walk alone, even at night,” she said. Somali journalist Farhan Jimale explains that this relative peace is due to Somaliland’s efforts since the 1990s. “There were local elders who acted as mediators. They brought together all the local communities and formed a power-sharing local government.” Somalia’s view Somalia considers Somaliland to be an integral part of the country. Over the past 10 years, Hargeisa and Mogadishu have held peace talks, but for Somalia, the country’s integrity is non-negotiable, Jimale emphasizes. “However, it recognizes Somaliland as a region that has developed its local authorities,” he continues. In recent years, although the Somali federal government has managed to consolidate its control in Mogadishu and other major cities, Islamist groups such as Al-Shabaab remain an active threat and have regained influence in several areas of the country. If Somalia achieves peace, it will have less reason to recognize Somaliland’s independence. “The main argument of Somaliland separatists is that Somalia needs to get its house in order before both sides can sit down to talk,” highlights Jimale. But if the country remains mired in a serious security crisis, the fight for independence will not cease. In any case, the final decision on Somaliland’s independence will probably have to come from Mogadishu, just as happened with the secession of neighboring South Sudan, which the Sudanese government ended up accepting after a referendum. VIDEOS: most watched on g1

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