SOMALILAND GOVERNMENT AND SOMALILAND EXPATS AROUND THE WORLD must refute relentlessly three pieces of misinformation that leaders of Somalia have been telling the world since Somaliland withdrew from the disastrous union it created in 1960 with Somalia on May 18, 1991, to deny Somaliland of recognition. If the three misinformations are refuted and eliminated, Somaliland will be recognized:
- FIRST MISINFORMATION: That Somaliland was a province of Somalia to label it with secessionism or separatism while in fact Somaliland was a separate colony from Somalia named Somaliland British protectorate for 76 years and became an independent country in Africa before Somalia achieved independence and recognition on June 26, 1960, when Somalia was still Italian colony and achieved independence on July 1, 1960. The proclamation of Somaliland’s independence granted by the colonizing power (Great Britain) is shown below. How Somaliland Republic, become an independent and recognized country by the world on June 26, 1960, before Somalia, become a province of Somalia? Somaliland achieved independence before Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, Chad, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Benin, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Kenya, Algeria, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia etc. So, this argument of Somalia is baseless.
- SECOND MISINFORMATION: That the recognition of Somaliland will open Pandora’s Box in Africa to encourage secessionists or separatists to change the borders of the continent of Africa implying that Somaliland was a secessionist province that broke away from Somalia. If the Nyanza Province of Kenya or Arusha Region of Tanzania or the Puntland province of Somalia secedes or breaks away from their own respective countries, they would definitely qualify to be secessionists, separatists or breakaways and that would change or shift the colonial borders of Africa inherited from European colonial powers thus creating instability and political unrest in the continent of Africa as those provinces share history, colonial borders, independence and recognition with their own motherlands.
But Somaliland was an older country than Somalia in Africa in achieving independence before Somalia in 1960 as its proclamation of independence shows below. The independence and recognition of Somaliland will be based on Somaliland British protectorate colonial borders and will not influence secessionism or separatism in Africa but will enhance the African Conference of 1964 for reaffirming Africa’s colonial borders to keep the security, peace, and stability of the continent [The location of Somaliland in the Horn of Africa determines its borders. It lies between 08°00′ – 11°30′ parallel North of the Equator (Latitudes) and between 42°45′ – 49°00′ Meridian East of Greenwich (Longitudes)]. How the independence and recognition of Somaliland based on its legitimate colonial borders will open Pandora’s Box for secessionists or separatists while the independence and recognition of all African countries are based on their colonial borders? This argument is baseless too and illogical.
- THIRD MISINFORMATION: That Somaliland accepted the terms of the union set by Somalia in 1960 that it cannot withdraw from the failed union. There were no terms set between the two countries in 1960 at all. Somaliland initiated the unification between the two countries in 1960 then Somalia violated the conditions of fair power-sharing of the failed union by hijacking it for the 30 years of its existence (1960-1990) and inflicted genocide and destructions against Somaliland people after raising grievances against injustice and oppression.
Somaliland withdrew from that union after a bloody war of liberation on May 18, 1991. Hence, how Somaliland which was the initiator or host of the union accepted terms dictated or set by Somalia which was the guest or invitee to the union? If one side had to set terms for the other side, it would have been Somaliland because it initiated the birth of the failed union. This argument does not hold too and it is baseless.
Now with the three misinformations refuted and eliminated, Somaliland Government and Somaliland expats around the world must fight back too to refute and eliminate the misinformations so that Somaliland will be recognized soon, In Shaa Allah. There is no way to go back. Somaliland returning to the disastrous union is like the Sun rising in the West. Somaliland cannot let Somalia abuse it with the independence it achieved before it and with the failed union it created.
Ibrahim Hassan Gagale
