Africa

Somaliland: The Country That Does Not Exist

Gérard Prunier, author of “The Country That Does Not Exist,” highlights the lonely achievements of Somaliland’s sovereignty and argues for its relevancy today.

foreignbrief.com

Somaliland is an autonomous region in northern Somalia, which broke away and declared independence from Somalia in 1991. ‘Somalilanders’ vote, issue passports, have a military, and even have a national currency, but the African Union and other agenda-setting powers have determined that acknowledging this small independent region will encourage other secessionist movements.

To understand why this region will not stay in the shadows much longer, you need to pay attention to two things. Somaliland’s port of Berbera is “Plan B” for the Djibouti Port, and Somaliland’s Taiwan alliance sends a clear message.

“If [Somaliland’s] Berbera port could capture 30% of Ethiopia’s cargo volume, this would likely devastate Djibouti’s economy.” As China tightened its grip on Djibouti and its leadership, many countries are searching for a Plan B. Djibouti Foreign Minister Mahamoud Ali Youssouf said in the Washington Post, “Yes, our debt to China is 71% of our GDP, but we needed that infrastructure.”

In his book, “The Country That Does Not Exist: A History of Somaliland” (2021), author Gérard Prunier highlights the lonely achievements of Somaliland’s sovereignty and its self-governing independent government’s successes, including peace and democratic…