Somaliland will not be recognised, so Somalia must govern
Women wrapped in Somaliland's flags take part in celebrations of the 27th anniversary of self-declared independence of Somaliland in Hargeisa on May 15, 2018. Somaliland’s independence bid has stalled, leaving Somalia with a test — can it turn autonomy into real unity?
Somaliland’s long pursuit of independence has reached its ceiling. Recognition is not coming. That is not a judgment about its ambition. It is the settled position of the regional and international order.
For years, it has tried to make recognition a question of image. Its leaders and allies have worked Western capitals, placed arguments in policy circles, and sold a simple line: Somaliland governs itself, holds elections, keeps order, and deserves to be treated as different from Mogadishu. The pitch was clear: We are reliable. We are disciplined. We deserve statehood.
