Recognize Stability, Governance, and Prosperity—Recognize Somaliland

The sun sets on Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland and home to 1.2 million people. The city, largely rebuilt after being destroyed by the Barre regime, has made considerable progress but faces serious challenges due to limited access to foreign capital.

Somaliland is a relative beacon of stability and state-building in a region where violence and poverty have become the norm, despite decades of foreign aid and intervention. The success of Somaliland stems from its rejection of importing Western liberal democracy, choosing instead to develop its own form of representative democracy that takes into account its traditional Isaaq clan structure. The US must recognize this achievement and build on this initial success by lobbying the African Union and the international community to recognize Somaliland formally. Recognition would provide the emerging state with the ability to take the next step in development that many of its neighbors have failed to achieve.

The British granted independence to Somaliland in 1960, on the condition that it unite with Italian Somaliland, forming the Somali Republic. A military coup would later bring Siad Barre to power, whose regime would commit mass atrocities, particularly towards the Isaaq people, who are largely concentrated in former British Somaliland. The Barre regime killed and displaced hundreds of thousands of Isaaq civilians and destroyed major population centers. The opposition eventually unified and toppled the regime in 1991, leaving the Somali Republic with a power vacuum and civil war, prompting Somaliland to declare independence. Since then, only Israel has formally recognized Somaliland as a sovereign nation.

Forced to build a state without international support, Somaliland leaned on its traditional values and took advantage of their largely homogenous Isaaq background, which allowed the country to pursue disarmament, reintegration of clan militias, and a collective focus on the nation’s well-being. Since its independence, Somaliland has been able to hold successful elections, arrange infrastructure deals, and maintain a relatively safe country. In contrast, Somalia has struggled with internal security challenges, political stability, and economic growth despite billions of dollars in international aid and the implementation of a Western-style liberal democracy. Nonetheless, despite a positive trajectory and it being relatively freer than its neighbors, Somaliland only scored a 47 out of 100 in Freedom House’s 2025 report. This underperformance was due to inconsistent adherence to democratic principles, including free speech protections. These deficiencies should remain highly relevant in how the US chooses to approach this issue.

The African Union (AU) has taken the position that Somaliland’s independence is a violation of the African Union’s commitment to maintaining original colonial borders to prevent unnecessary conflict and to mitigate pervasive independence claims across the continent. While understandable, the case of Somaliland requires greater scrutiny than a shortsighted devotion to policy. Recognizing Somaliland is not without precedent, as the AU recognized Eritrea in 1993 and South Sudan in 2011, which separated from Ethiopia and Sudan, respectively. AU’s own fact-finding mission in 2005 lent credibility to Somaliland’s claim to independence and recommended greater action to resolve the situation between Somaliland and Somalia, though it stopped short of making a formal recommendation. By leaning on precedents and the AU’s own analysis, the US can jointly formalize its position alongside the AU to bring greater legitimacy to the move.

Recognizing Somaliland, or at least indicating a willingness to do so, would give the US considerable leverage to promote improved democratic norms while still respecting Somaliland’s unique democratic structures. US policy has emphasized that cooperation with the AU is critical to avoid delegitimizing the intergovernmental organization, which has been a significant barrier to recognizing Somaliland’s sovereignty. However, the effort to recognize Somaliland does not have to be contradictory. The US should lobby the African Union and other African nations to recognize the independence of Somaliland, citing precedent and the necessity of following the will of Somalilanders. 

The US has principled and material interests in recognizing Somaliland’s independence. Somaliland’s Berbera Port is strategically placed in the Gulf of Aden and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, making the port a potentially critical location for the US to project power in the region. Utilizing this port would allow diversification away from the US military base in Djibouti, home to US AFRICOM, which has seen increased Chinese influence. Additionally, the US has strong interests in promoting good governance, stability, and democracy in a region that has seen increased backsliding. To recognize Somaliland would signal a recommitment to this purpose and reward nations with shifts in the region that promote those values. The greatest challenge will be to balance the needs and interests of Somalia, the AU, and the delineation of borders that the US recognizes. If the US focuses its efforts to diplomatically achieve recognition for Somaliland, its integration will be smoother and ultimately make any security cooperation far more legitimate.

Image Credit

Abdulkadir Hirabe, Unsplash License, via Unsplash