Should Ireland recognise Somaliland?

By Pierce Dargan , Written by Dublin Gazette

In the past number of weeks a new president was sworn into office in Africa in a ceremony which marked the culmination of a peaceful transfer of power. This occurred in one of the most stable democracies on the continent, Somaliland.

Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi became Somaliland’s sixth President after winning the election in November 2024 which saw him defeat incumbent President Muse Bihi Abdi. Having been lauded as one of the most stable political environments in East Africa for the past number of decades, why has the state which broke away from Somalia in 1991 and declared its independence not been recognised by any other country? 

This is a question which I first asked in the Hague in the Netherlands back in 2009 at the Model United Nations and argued that it is time for the international community including Ireland to have a serious discussion on the question of recognising Somaliland’s independence. Given Ireland took the lead in Europe when recognising Palestinian statehood it is important for Ireland to consider its position in relation to Somaliland. It is one of the main reasons I studied African History and Politics while at university in Trinity College Dublin. I think at the very least it is time for the new incoming Irish government and Minister for Foreign Affairs to seriously consider the Irish position on this question.

Somaliland is located in the north of what is recognised as Somalia and shares borders with Ethiopia and Djibouti. Modern day Somalia is made up of two previous colonies, British Somaliland, modern day Somaliland, and Italian Somaliland, the rest of modern day Somalia. On 26th June 1960 British Somaliland gained its independence from the United Kingdom and six days later voluntarily joined the then independent former colony of Italian Somaliland to create modern Somalia. However tensions between the different factions in the new modern Somalia began very quickly and after years of persecution in 1991 leaders in Somaliland declared their independence.

Since that time Somaliland has had their own government, currency, police force and passports. Somaliland entered the news earlier this year as the then President Muse Bihi Abdi made a memorandum of understanding with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. In exchange for Ethiopian recognition of Somaliland, Ethiopia would gain a lease to part of the Somaliland seafront for their navy as Ethiopia doesn’t have a coastline. This deal was thrown into doubt this week when it was announced that Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud had met in Turkey in talks arranged by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan where it was stated that both countries would now respect one another’s “sovereignty”. 

However this question of international recognition of Somaliland may be brought more to the fore as it was reported that the incoming US administration under President Trump is considering recognizing Somaliland after meeting with Former United Kingdom Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson, who has been a strong advocate for the country’s recognition. The Trump administration almost recognised Somaliland in 2020 and if it is likely that the new administration will recognise the country’s independence isn’t now the time to decide Ireland’s position rather than being pressured into one?

Personally, I think it would be extremely hard not to come to the conclusion that Somaliland which has been a self governing de facto country for the past three decades upholding the democratic process should be offered the respect it deserves to join the countries of the world or at the very least have its case heard. 

Photo: Former President Muuse Bihi Abdi and President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullhi in Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland

SOURCE: DUBLIN GAZETTE