A man with body paint in the colours of the national flag participates in a street parade to celebrate the 24th self-declared independence day for the breakaway Somaliland nation from Somalia in capital Hargeysa, May 18, 2015. REUTERS/Feisal Omar
Nestled in the blistering core of the Horn of Africa is Somaliland, a country of 6.2 million strong, proud, and peace-loving people. Against all probability, they have established the only stable, democratic, and peaceful country in the midst of one of the most violent and strife-torn parts of our world. But they are trapped in a cruel paradox—a thriving democracy shunned by the international community. As the rest of the world turns its back on them, they find themselves asking a haunting question: Why are we isolated from the world? Are we not human?
Of the 6.2 million people in Somaliland, an incredible 60% are youth—under the age of 30. This dynamic youth is filled with dreams, hope, and unrelenting ambition. They dream of a world where they can create a better world: combat the ravaging impacts of global warming, empower marginalized communities, educate disadvantaged children, and break the shackles of poverty. But their lofty ambitions are brutally stifled under the suffocating blanket of isolation.
Somaliland’s non-recognition by the world has denied its people their fundamental rights. They cannot pursue education, scholarships, or careers with invalid documentation. The doors of their aspirations are closed in their faces before they even have a chance to make any sound. As the world denies them space, the dreams of these young women and men disintegrate into oblivion. Some flee, compelled to risk their lives by crossing treacherous seas and hostile borders in pursuit of opportunities that their homeland cannot offer. Others succumb to the suffocating darkness of hopelessness, slipping into addiction, abandoning their education, and resigning themselves to a life of squandered potential. These are not merely lives lost; they are dreams extinguished, futures stolen, and humanity betrayed.
Such is the bitter truth of Somaliland, a nation whose history is woven with threads of betrayal and survival. Somaliland gained independence from Great Britain in 1960, only to merge soon thereafter with Somalia, a former Italian colony, in the hope of creating a greater Somali state. But this union was a betrayal from its very beginning. It was never ratified by the people of Somaliland—95% of whom were against it. The union collapsed, giving way to years of marginalization, brutality, and bloodshed. When it collapsed in 1991, Somaliland did not hesitate to take back its sovereignty, promising to build a better future.
And they managed to do that. Despite everything, Somaliland became an oasis of democracy and stability amidst a region repeatedly consumed by chaos. When neighboring Somalia devolved into civil war, terror, and anarchy, Somaliland chose peace and development. They conducted democratic elections, established functional institutions, and constructed a society where individuals could live without fear. But their successes were disregarded, their voices silenced. The world, in its unforgivable complacency, continues to deny Somaliland the acknowledgment it so rightly deserves. It instead lends its support to Somalia’s unfounded claim over Somaliland—a claim devoid of any legal or moral ground.
Somaliland has suffered the consequences of its stubbornness for more than three decades. Its people have been deprived of the right to belong, their humanity itself ignored by a world that espouses justice and democracy in words but forsakes them through actions. The burden of this injustice is overwhelming. It is a silent crime—one that robs futures, crushes dreams, and consigns an entire nation to oblivion.
For how long will the world ignore Somaliland’s rightful place on the global stage? For how long will it close its eyes as its citizens suffer? Somaliland’s children can alter the world, but their wings are clipped even before they get a chance to fly. They do not want charity or sympathy—they want justice. They are asking for the dignity and respect that is due to any nation and every human being.
The citizens of Somaliland have been exemplary in their conduct, forging a peaceful country amidst chaos, a democracy when authoritarianism is the rule of the day. They are alone in this, with their humanity in question, with their hopes kept on hold. If the world continues to turn its back on Somaliland, it is not Somaliland that will have failed—it is the world. For how can humanity profess to believe in justice, fairness, and progress if it abandons those who embody these very ideals?
The Somalilanders weep: Why are we alone? Are we not human? The world must respond—and it must respond now.
About the Author:
Abdirizak Aamir is a university lecturer, independent researcher, political commentator, and advocate for self-determination. Based in Hargeisa, Somaliland
Email: Abdirizak.ibr@gmail.com
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the Horndiplomat editorial policy.
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