28 years later, is there hope of independence for Somaliland?

The Somaliland head of the Liaison Office in Kenya Bashe Omar talked to FRED OLUOCH about the changing geopolitics in the Horn.

Twenty-eight years after Somaliland declared its independence, the international community still won’t recognise it. What do you make of this?

When we talk to countries in Africa and the West, they say they understand our position — that we have different operations and we have made tremendous progress in maintaining democracy compared with Somalia. We had formed a union with Somalia in 1960, but later found that the union could not work and it collapsed in 1991. We are asking for a divorce from Somalia. Recognition will happen, and it is just a matter of time. The responses from the EU, US and the Middle East have been encouraging.

Turkey has in the past sponsored talks on a reunion. Would Somaliland consider this?

For the past 28 years, our mission has been clear — independence. In 1991, 97 per cent voted in a referendum for independence. We have full separation and we have no interactions with Somalia. There is no government-to-government trade, but there is people-to-people trade as neighbouring countries are working side by side. But we don’t want political reunion with Somalia. We attended the talks to make our position clear, that we want independence.

Hope For Africa