SOMALILAND: The 55th State of the Continent

FILE PHOTO: Berbera Port

Below is the Google translated article of the 54etats newspaper.

By Herve Pugi

Africa and its borders! It is a wide debate that owes everything to a contestable and contested colonial heritage. More after the sacrosanct principle of international intangibility was blithely flouted recently. What open some horizons in Somaliland? An extraordinary tale of the fate of the potential 55th state of the continent.

In the beginning they were two states, at the end of colonization they found themselves almost naturally linked. Mohamed Hagi Mohamoud, a student at the Department of Political and International Studies of the University of Warwick, said: “Four states have been combined. Syria and Egypt have become the United Arab Republic between 1958 and 1961. These people are now living side by side with established economic and social cooperation. The other two Nation States were Somaliland and Somalia that formed the Somali Republic. This political union held painfully over three decades. ”

“Painfully”, that says a lot about the feeling and (resentment) which emerges from this forced marriage embodying the concept of “Greater Somalia”. A dream turned into a nightmare as the university: “It was thirty years of injustice. The population has had to go through a long bloody war to finally regain its sovereignty in the early 90s. “In other words certain autonomy and lack of true independence.

Breaking quarter century would copy something to believe Mohamed Mohamoud Hagi: “It’s a full experience, made of peace, democracy (with real vibrations) and economic development achieved without getting wherewithal from any Foreign Entities. The history of Somaliland is unique, and this uniqueness is worth studying because it will lead other nations to give meaning to the issue of recognition. ”

International Community Paradox

This last point questions necessarily. This model of success finding only little support from the international community applauds the one hand but on the other fears that this new precedent gives some secessionist ideas on the continent … Paradoxical when one remembers the role that some countries, the US in the lead, have played in the independence of South Sudan. Next to this, the researcher leading the finger at the role of neighboring countries such as Ethiopia or Djibouti, “torn between the peace that brings them to their borders a peaceful state like Somaliland and the shadows that could make them the same country , from an economic point of view “.

Mohamed Hagi Mohamoud a Political Scientist and a Social Researcher, and an author of Academic Articles in East Africa. Department of Political Science. The University of Warwic

And to affirm Mohamed Hagi Mohamoud said: “Somaliland has no major danger in terms of security.” Quite a contrast to the chaos that can reign in neighboring Somalia, “We have on one side the Somali hell, with an illegitimate federal government and other peaceful Somaliland democracy. And, paradoxically, the international community fully supports a weakened Somalia has repeatedly claim that Somaliland is part and parcel of its territorial integrity. We are talking about a government that controls only half of its capital, which has only been made possible by the contribution of African troops AMISOM! ”

In fact, Somaliland biding his time, which is not without raising some perplexity to the people: “The issues that the people are numerous arises: why the world he turns his back to a peaceful state , democratic and law whereas the Horn of Africa is experiencing political chaos, humanitarian crises, terrorism, tribal conflicts and piracy? And above all, what prevents the recognition of Somaliland as the 55th African state? Is it legal reasons or political…? ”

We expect the answers…

Click here to read the original article in French

Source: 54etats