A Contribution to the Case for Somaliland's Recognition

Somaliland is an African success story, largely unknown in the West. From the carnage and chaos of the Somali civil war, the territory has established the foundations of a constitutional democracy, the rule of law and peace. Yet the international community refuses to reward this achievement by granting the territory recognition. This article outlines the territory’s emergence and the establishment of its fledgling democracy. It argues that these achievements are imperilled if recognition continues to be denied, and questions the apprehension that recognition would set too dangerous a precedent for irredentist and secessionist movements elsewhere in Africa. It rejects the widely favoured solution that reunification of North and South must proceed on the basis of restoring peace and order in the South.