Somaliland's Road to Recognition of Independence-Through Democracy?

Somalia may bring to mind chaos, disorder, and civil war among other images. Somalia itself is a failed state whose government, supported by the African Union, controls little more than part of Mogadishu, the capital city. Mogadishu is extraordinary violent and dangerous, as demonstrated by a “tourist guide” to the city that advises would-be visitors to stock up on street militias for protection. The northern part of Somalia, however, is a relatively peaceful “country” with a small but viable tourist industry.

Somaliland's independence stems from its history as a British colony as opposed to the rest of Somalia, which was controlled by Italy as Italian Somaliland (see map at left.) When colonization ended in 1960, British Somaliland voted to join Italian Somaliland to form the country of Somalia. After independence, Somalia eventually succumbed to military dictatorship under President (and General) Said Barre. When President Barre was ousted in 1991, Somalia descended into civil war. During this period, former British Somaliland declared its independence as Somaliland. However, despite its relative stability, Somaliland has not been recognized as independent by any foreign government.

Somaliland has been functioning as a relatively peaceful democracy since its independence. The country held presidential elections in 2003 and parliamentary elections in 2005, and intends on holding elections every five years. Presidential elections were thus scheduled for 2008 and parliamentary elections for 2010.

The planned presidential election for 2008 got off to such a rocky start that it had to be put off until 2010. On several occasions, the government announced that Somaliland was not ready to hold an election. Such delays threatened the peace of the country. In the end, however, the elections did run surprisingly smoothly, helped by Denmark, which donated the necessary ballot boxes.

The biggest surprise for outside observers was not so much the peaceful and free election, but how the results were handled. The opposition party (Peace, Unity, and Development Party), headed by Ahmed Silanyo, won the election with 49.59% of the vote, defeating the incumbent Dahir Kahin, who received 33.23% of the vote (also see chart at right). The election itself was run smoothly with little evidence of fraud. Once the results were announced, former President Kahin made the unusual step, for the leader of such a poor country, of gracefully transferring power to the opposition. So despite the many delays and election controversies, Somaliland’s 2010 presidential contest is generally regarded as a clear success.

As Somaliland is not recognized as a sovereign state, the main goal of its leaders is recognition, and the new President Silanyo is not an exception. The clean presidential election impressed many leaders around the world, helping Somaliland's diplomatic quest. The new British Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron stated in Parliament that Somaliland is "an example of genuine democracy in an area of the world not noted for it … we are keen to engage with the new Government." The election thus boosted Somaliland's international reputation.

Many challenges still await Somaliland. Scheduled parliamentary elections have been delayed, as the government once again claims that it is not ready. The path to Somaliland’s recognition has numerous obstacles including the African Union’s reluctance to recognize former colonial borders as a reason for newly created states. However, overtures from non-African countries such as the United States looking to ally with Somaliland against Islamist terrorists and Somali pirates may be a step towards recognition of Somaliland as an independent country.