Why could South Africa be the second country to recognize Somaliland as a sovereign country after Ethiopia?

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Somaliland Flag

By: Adnan Isaq Ali

BRIEF HISTORY OF SOMALILAND

Somaliland has one of the longest histories in the Horn of Africa. In the early 1880s, the Great Britain and Somaliland clans reached and concluded treaties that formed the Somaliland British Protectorate that was proclaimed in 1887.

In accordance with international boundaries, the British Protectorate marked the Somaliland boundaries by treaties with Côte française des Somalis (the Anglo-French treaty in September 1888) to the west, Somalia Italian (a series of treaties known as the British-Italian treaty in March 1894) to the east, and the Kingdom of Ethiopia (the Anglo-Ethiopian treaty in May 1897) to the south.

After long and remarkable struggles, Somaliland became sovereign and an independent state on June 26, 1960, from the British Protectorate.

More than 35 countries, including the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, sent Somaliland State congratulatory telegrams that recognized the new independent state.

On July 1st, 1960, after five days of independence, Somaliland voluntarily united with Somalia in order to create a greater Somalia (Somali Republic), or one Somali country. That was an idea to bring together all Somali ethnic groups in Horn Africa into one country, including British Somaliland, which is today the Republic of Somaliland; Italian Somalia, which is today the Federal Government of Somalia; French Somaliland, which is today the Republic of Djibouti; North Eastern Province (NFD) Kenya, which is today one of the provinces of the Republic of Kenya; and Hawd and Researve Area, which is today one of the federal members of the States of Ethiopia.

That union was not ratified because the treaty of union was not completed in the legal process format in the Somalia legislature. The Somaliland legislature was passed as a law of union, but the Somali Republic legislature was not passed.

Also, the people of Somaliland had totally refused and said no to the voting of the new Somali republic constitution on June 20, 1961. The result of the referendum on the new constitution showed that all districts of Somaliland clearly rejected it. So, in a legal sense, the union was not completed.

Since that union (1960–1991), the Somaliland people have faced all forms of genocide from the governments of the Somali Republic, particularly the government led by the military dictator Mohamed Siad Barre, who came to power through a military coup in October 1969.

After the dictator Mohamed Said Barre increased and accused human rights abuses against Somaliland people, the officials from Somaliland announced and founded the Somali National Movement (SNM) in London, UK, on April 6, 1981. The aim of SNM was to relieve or burden off pressure on the people of Somaliland through military power.

Since the establishment of SNM, the Somaliland liberation war has begun, and SNM has become the first and most organized anti-Siyad Barre regime armed movement. 

After nearly a decade of non-stop genocide against the people of Somaliland that cost 100,000 up to 200,000 civilian deaths, more than half a million people were displaced and became refugees in camps in Ethiopia, and they also destroyed the towns in the northern regions of the Somali Republic, which is Somaliland today, as the International Human Rights Organizations reported and registered. The SNM troops had successfully defeated Siyad Barre’s troops, which were the second-largest power in Africa in 1991. 

On May 18, 1991, Somalilanders decided to regain or reclaimed their independence from the Somali Republic after the SNM administration and clan elders came together in a grand conference held in Burao City, Somaliland, and announced the Republic of Somaliland. On May 31, 2002, the people of Somaliland voted 97.9% in a referendum on the new constitution, which was endorsed by international observers.

Since more than a quarter of a century  that Somaliland has been independent, it has made and achieved tremendous milestones, including peacebuilding, government institutional building, rule of law, democracy, good governance, respecting human rights, improving infrastructure, regional security and economic contributions, and building good diplomatic relationships with the world.

While Somaliland has been an independent country, it has become one of the leading democratic and values-based countries in the Horn of Africa, as the Freedom House’s assessment in its every-year report shows.

Three free and fair presidential elections have been held in Somaliland since 2003 with peace and stability power transfer, and this year, on November 13, Somaliland will again elect a new president as the schedule of the presidential election. Two free and fair elections of the House of Representatives and three free and fair elections of the local council have been held in Somaliland since Somaliland became a democratic country.

Despite a tiny amount of international aid and support, Somaliland hasn’t received direct support or loans from international financial institutions and countries. All those achievements made by itself without external support made Somaliland attractive to international investors who realized and trusted Somaliland, and today, about three of the most international multinational companies have invested in Somaliland; DP World is one of them that handles Berbera port.

THE MOU BETWEEN SOMALILAND AND ETHIOPIA

On January 1, 2023, the Republic of Somaliland and the Federal Republic of Ethiopia together made a significant historical victory after the leaders of both countries signed a memorandum of understanding. This MoU stated that the Republic of Somaliland would lease 20 kilometers of its coastline (the Red Sea) to Ethiopia, while Ethiopia would be the first country to recognize Somaliland as an independent and sovereign country. 

Both leaders, HE Mouse Bihi Abdi, the president of Somaliland, and HE Abiy Ahmed, the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, presented the MoU as a major win-win for their respective countries’s goals: accessing the Red Sea on Ethiopia’s side and gaining international formal recognition on Somaliland’s side.

“Today, it is with immense pride, I announce the mutually beneficial agreement between Somaliland and Ethiopia. In exchange for 20km sea access for the Ethiopian Naval forces, leased for a period of 50 years, Ethiopia will formally recognize the Republic of Somaliland, setting a precedent as the first nation to extend international recognition to our country.” said H.E. President Muse Bihi Abdi”.

The implementation of this MoU will ensure that both Somaliland and Ethiopia achieve one of their ultimate goals. It also increases economic and trade cooperation between the two countries as well as the region.

The implementation of this MoU will open Somaliland to a new page that it has been waiting for since 1991, which is formal recognition. As Somaliland’s diplomatic surroundings indicate, Ethiopia will be the first country, but there are also a number of countries that are impressed by the case of Somaliland and planning to be the countries that recognize Somaliland after Ethiopia.

This article examines why South Africa could be the second country or first-line countries that recognizes Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state after Ethiopia and what the push is to include those countries.

WHY IS THE WORLD’S RECOGNITION OF SOMALILAND SO CRUCIAL? 

Since Somaliland has been marked as a great country praised for stability, democracy, good governance, and respecting international rules in the region and globally, the recognition of Somaliland would open up new energy and also support and encourage the maintenance of stability and governance in the region.

In recent decades, the geopolitical situation in the Horn of Africa region has been underscored by increasing security tensions, particularly among terrorist, pirate, and Houthi rebels in Yemen. As a long-term solution, the world has been actively looking for a sustainable, long-term solution to illuminate these threats.

Hence, one of the potential long-term solutions is to recognize Somaliland because of its geopolitical landscape. Somaliland’s recognition would make it a reliable ally in the fight against terrorists, piracy, and Houthi rebels in Yemen.

The recognition of Somaliland would contribute to the world by enhancing global security, countering global and regional threats, fostering economic integration, building regional infrastructure, improving diplomatic relationships, and improving regional democracy and good governance.

THE LONGSTANDING COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOMALILAND AND SOUTH AFRICA.

History

The relationship between the two countries began in 1983, when the two freedom fighters’ movements, the Somali National Movement (SNM) of Somaliland and the African National Congress (ANC) of South Africa, were in the liberation war. Both SNM and ANC had offices in London, so the roots of the relationship between the two countries started there. 

When both the ANC and SNM won the liberation war, the relationship became formal and official, and in September 2000, the first official delegation from Somaliland visited South Africa, led by the former Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the late Mohamoud Salah Nour, where the two countries agreed to settle a strong and deep relationship between them.

South Africa was the country where the second president, the late Mohamed Haji Ibrahim Egal of Somaliland, died on May 3, 2002, after he came to the hospital for surgery in a military hospital in Pretoria, South Africa.

Since 1983 up to today, the two countries—South Africa and Somaliland—have had longstanding collaboration relationships between the two governments, political parties, civil society, and business and trade industries. This is what makes South Africa a great and close friend of Somaliland and pushes the case for Somaliland. 

Cooperation and support

While both countries have been in a relationship for that long, South Africa has supported Somaliland in different sectors, including;

Democracy: South Africa has been one of the great contributors to the elections of Somaliland; they provided capacity building to the National Electoral Commission (NEC), and they also provided technical support for the technology and equipment of the elections.

South Africa also invited the Somaliland National Electoral Commission to the elections held in South Africa as an international observer in order to gain experience.

Also, most of the elections in Somaliland, South Africa, have had observation teams.

Humanitarian: South Africa had sent food aid to Somaliland for significant droughts and disasters in Somaliland several times; that was one of the fundamental supports received by the affected people. 

Education: since South Africa has most of the top universities in Africa, Somaliland students have always come to South Africa as international students. South Africa (SAQA) has recognized the Somaliland secondary school and university certificates, and South Africa has also given scholarships to the brilliant students in Somaliland, particularly in graduate studies.

Trade and investment: The South African government and the Somaliland government had reached a memorandum of understanding about trade and investment that allowed and encouraged both investors to invest in potential sectors. Particularly, South Africa has been interested in and engaged in investing in Somaliland in the sectors of mining, energy, and fishing. This is a major  economic exchange and integration in Somaliland. 

During their remarkable relationship (South Africa and Somaliland), nine different delegations from South Africa had been paid official working trips to Somaliland; these included ministers, heads of departments, advisors, official members of political parties, CEOs of private companies, and officials from humanitarian organizations. 

Also, eleven different delegations from Somaliland had been paid an official working trip to South Africa, including ministries, director generals, chairpersons, members of business owners, and civil society.

They were all productive trips that enhanced and fostered the relationship between South Africa and Somaliland and reached agreements.

The case of Somaliland recognition

South Africa is one of the leading countries in Africa for engaging in the recognition case of Somaliland; they made a significant effort to convince the African Union of the case of Somaliland.

In 2003, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) of South Africa issued a legal opinion that stated the following:

  • It is undeniable that Somaliland does indeed qualify for statehood and has fulfilled all the requirements a state needs, and it is incumbent on the international community to recognize it. Any efforts to deny or delay would not only put the international community at risk of ignoring the most stable region in the Horn, but they would also impose untold hardship upon the people of Somaliland due to the denial of foreign assistance that recognition entails.
  • The interests of world peace and stability require that, where possible, the division or fragmentation of existing states be managed peacefully and through negotiation. But where this is not possible, as is the case with Somalia, international law accepts that the interests of justice may prevail over the principle of territorial integrity.

South Africa was one of the countries behind the AU fact-finding mission to Somaliland in 2005 and paid for the mission’s fund. This fact-finding mission indicated and clearly stated that the Somaliland case is unique, deserves, and has the right to international recognition. 

Also, since the two countries have been in a relationship, the South African Parliament has tried to facilitate how Somaliland gets a non-permanent seat in the African Parliament since their HQ is in South Africa.

All these remarkable efforts secure the commitment of the government and the people of South Africa, which is how Somaliland gets international recognition.

The view of South Africa in the MoU between Somaliland and Ethiopia

Although South Africa hasn’t clearly identified their reaction to the MoU between Somaliland and Ethiopia, there were a number of countries around the world that shared their reactions to the MoU publicly.

South Africa was among the countries that faced the MoU silently. In the diplomatic sense, silence is acceptance, and this clearly evidencing that South Africa is welcomed to the MoU between Somaliland and Ethiopia as a diplomatic process view. 

The implementation of this MoU between Somaliland and Ethiopia, which led Ethiopia to become the first country to recognize Somaliland, could be an opportunity for South Africa to be the second country after Ethiopia or the first line country to recognize Somaliland as a sovereign state, since South Africa has been impressing the case of Somaliland and has paid off significant efforts. 

The recognition of Ethiopia to Somaliland; could be South Africa as a golden juncture for fostering and convincing the rest of African countries to recognize Somaliland. South Africa and other countries in Africa have been urging that the case of Somaliland recognition needs a kick-off country; fortunately, this MoU breaks that door and allows those countries to have the courage to recognize Somaliland as a sovereign state.

Both share issues

There are some outstanding shared issues between both countries in distinct history that South Africa makes to push the case of the recognition of Somaliland. This includes:

Both countries had the same colonial history; both were under the British colony. So, South Africa knows much more about the long history of Somaliland than other African countries.

Both countries had the same history of freedom fighting; SNM was the brave freedom fighters of Somaliland who defeated and disappeared the dictator Siyad Barre and his horror system in the Somali Republic. The ANC were the freedom fighters of South Africa who had been fighting since 1961–1993. They sacrificed everything they could in order to eliminate apartheid, and they reached. Both of them fought for the freedom they have today.

Both countries are democratic, and they also practice the values of democracy, including respecting human rights, political rights, the rule of law, transparency, accountability, political tolerance, and the Bill of Rights.

Both countries are respecting their neighborhoods with peace and social and economic integration.

All these point out that Somaliland and South Africa shared remarkable issues and push South Africa to not ignore the facts of the Somaliland recognition case. 

Conclusion

The recognition of Somaliland is so crucial to the region and globally. When Somaliland and Ethiopia officially sign the implementation of the MoU into agreement, Ethiopia becomes the first country to recognize Somaliland as a sovereign state. 

South Africa could be the second country because of the long-standing relationship and the other issues discussed in this article that push South Africa to recognize Somaliland, and we have seen that South Africa has already engaged.

REFERENCES

Author: Diplomat Adnan Isaq Ali,

Adnan Isaq Ali, a diplomat based in Johannesburg, South Africa. the first secretary of the Somaliland Diplomatic Mission in South Africa

Johannesburg, South Africa,

Email: adnanisaqq@gmail.com

X: @adnanisaq

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the Horndiplomat editorial policy.
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