independentsomaliland

Some basic information about Somaliland…

The current situation in Somaliland:

Somaliland is a small, peaceful, stable and democratic country which is currently fighting for international recognition of its independence which is has held since 1991.

A brief history of Somaliland:

Somaliland is a former British protectorate which initially gained its independence in 1960. Backed by the UNO (who wanted to limit the number of countries within the UNO) it attempted a ‘trial union’ with Somalia in July 1960.  The union failed after the Mogadishu people reneged on the referendum agreement which had been instigated in July 1961 – one year after the start of the ‘trial union’.  In 1991 after decades of civil war, a judge ruled that as Mogadishu had not held to the terms of the trial union, it had not been ratified and so declared the union as having officially ended. Somaliland became officially independent once again in 1991 and reiterated its claim to independence in 2001 when voters overwhelmingly backed their support for Somaliland’s independence in a national referendum.

Why Independence for Somaliland is important:

Somaliland is already technically an independent country, but the fact that the international community refuses to recognise Somaliland’s autonomy has hindered its economic growth by limiting the country’s options with regards to international trade.

What Somaliland has to offer to the international community:

Somaliland has already proved itself to be a stable and democratic country.  Add to this its extremely important and strategically valuable geographical location, its large natural port and the fact that it is an Islamic country which is forward thinking and open to interaction and collaboration with the West and you are left with the possibility of an incredibly valuable friendship that cannot and should not be ignored.

There is also huge potential for economic advancement – Somaliland already has a strong export business which can only improve with more stable international trade relations and its newly discovered cave paintings offer up increased possibilities for selective tourism.