The opening of the British Embassy in Mogadishu 2013
by Muuse Yuusuf
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
On April 5, 2014 up to 600 Somalis (Somalilanders) from the northwest region of Somalia (Somaliland) living in Sheffield city gathered at Sheffield City Council’s headquarters. For them, this was a great day to celebrate for what they describe as “greater strides towards recognition for Somaliland", having persuaded this English council to recognise Somaliland as an independent state. It was not only ordinary Somalilanders who took to the streets, but a government delegation from Somaliland led by its foreign minister, Mohamed Bihi Yonis, was among the crowd.
As a keen follower and analyst of Somalia’s current affairs, I could not believe what was happening in front of my eyes. Somaliland, a country, which has been striving to be among the world’s independent nation-states for the last two decades, has practically reduced itself to no more than the status of a city council in England!
To understand the unfolding situation, I tried to explain it through different historical events and scenarios that might have led to this humiliating end.
This is my favourite one. Contrary to what the diehard secessionists want the world to believe, Somaliland has never been an independent nation-state, but a small colony (region) that joined the other bigger Italian colony in the south to form the Republic of Somalia in 1960. It was then this new entity with recognisable flag, currency, defined borders, and population legitimised by functioning legislative, judiciary and executive organs that the international community recognised as an independent nation-state. Loath it or like it, this is the official legal status of the Federal Republic of Somalia, inclusive of the former British colony. Furthermore, Somaliland, before joining the union, had no many functioning state apparatus: an army, currency, diplomatic relation, as it had no seat in the UN or in regional bodies. Indeed, it only existed as an independent colony for a few days (26-30/6/1960) and was eventually absorbed in the Republic of Somalia.
It also true that the region is inhabited by different clans and some them had never ever recognised or signed any treaty with the then British colonial authorities. Indeed, if given real democratic voice three out of the four major clans in the region are against the secession project.
By seeking recognition from a city in south Yorkshire in England with a population of 640,720 and a land size of 367.94 km2 the diehard secessionists have confirmed what most people knew already. Somaliland is not a county, but a region in Somalia dominated by Hargeisa with an estimated population of up to one million people and a land size of a few square kilo meters. Another salient outcome of this bizarre action is that the diehard secessionists have inadvertently degraded their entity from nation-statehood to the level of local government. They have shot themselves in the foot.
The other scenario that I thought might have inspired the pro-secession elite to seek recognition from Sheffield, is perhaps their desire to secure a twin city for Hargeisa, a city in dire need of infrastructure development. The twin-city is a phenomenon whereby a city is twinned with another one with the aim of enhancing socio-economic relations between them. As a matter of fact, Sheffield has the following twin cities:
So reading between the lines, the most plausible outcome of the secessionists’ efforts is that the northwest region of Somalia (Somaliland) with its capital city Hargeisa has been twinned with Sheffield city in south Yorkshire, another region in England.
If the second scenario was their goal and I hope it is, the good efforts of the 8,000 strong Somalis (Somalilanders) in Sheffield who pressurised their councillors to secure the “recognition” vote have not been wasted. This is because the secessionist elite, if they are wise enough, could use this opportunity to develop Hargeisa by seeking expertise and money from this great metropolitan city. For example, Sheffield city could help Hargeisa with the establishment of a reliable fire brigade service, a much need service.
I was also perplexed by what the Somaliland Foreign Minister said:
“In recent weeks this Somaliland community, with the support of Councillor Mohammad Maroof, Councillor Neale Gibson and MP Paul Blomfield, has made greater strides towards recognition for Somaliland than we have made through official channels in years.”
This argument is a fallacy narrated in a dream land because the “recognition” vote has no legal status in south Yorkshire let alone in England! It would have been fair and appropriate if the minister had said by twinning Hargeisa with Sheffield we have made a great achievement towards the development of our under-developed city of Hargeisa. Indeed, this would have been a great way to say thank you to the thousands of Somalis who campaigned so hard to make Sheffield city council listen their voices.
What is also a myth is the other argument propagated by the pro-secessionist camp. By using Sheffield’s “success story”, secessionists – having failed to secure recognition through state to state diplomatic channels – argue that Somalilanders could mobilise their communities across England to secure a “recognition” vote in their respective local authorities in the view of lobbying the UK government to recognise Somaliland!! The question is by adopting this grassroot campaign method how many years would it take to persuade over 152 local authorities for a recognition vote? Maybe another 150 years……….?! Do Somalis (Somalilanders) have majority in most English cities? Does “Somaliland” have the resource to pursue recognition the hard way? Would they then adopt the same strategy in other countries, e.g. the USA, perhaps Minnesota is the next target?
It is obvious this is a futile exercise, which sounds like searching a needle lost in the ocean, or as a Somali proverb goes “Hal bacaad lagu lisay….!!
The fact of the matter is that the 193 UN member states have all said “NO” to the secessionists’ demand for recognition. Indeed, the British government is the first western country which has opened an embassy in Mogadishu to show its determination to protect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Federal Republic of Somalia, which is now emerging slowly and gradually as a federal state.
Let me make this clear: some local politicians and councillors in English local governments and city councils are very unlikely to open a door shut by the 193 strong UN member states.
In conclusion, let us celebrate and welcome the twinning of Sheffield with Hargeisa city, if this what the secessionist meant, just like Borama (Somalia) and Henley-on-Thames in England are great sister cities.
Muuse Yuusuf
[email protected]