Horn of Africa Needs Reconciliation, Not New Borders

Recent arguments calling on the international community to recognize Somaliland, an inseparable part of Somalia, rest on several assumptions that require scrutiny. Proponents describe Somaliland as a unified, stable, and strategically indispensable state, but the reality on the ground is far more complex.

The first and most fundamental misconception is that the former British Somaliland protectorate exists today as a unified political entity. This is not accurate. The territory briefly gained independence in June 1960 but ceased to exist when it voluntarily united with the Trust Territory of Somalia to form the Republic of Somalia. More importantly, the geographic and political boundaries claimed by the Somaliland administration are disputed and not consensually accepted by local inhabitants.

Over the past two years, eastern regions such as Sool, Sanaag, and parts of Cayn (SSC) have demonstrated this. After protracted conflict and popular mobilization, local communities rejected rule from Hargeisa and established a northeastern administration, later aligning with the Federal Government of Somalia. The people of these areas do not support Somaliland's secessionist project but seek a future within a federal Somali state, alongside the vast majority of Somalis. This development undermines the central argument that Somaliland represents a unified political community.

In the western part of the Somaliland region, political movements in Awdal increasingly question Hargeisa's political and economic monopoly. Calls for establishing a separate regional administration are growing, reflecting long-standing grievances over political representation, economic development, and governance. These developments suggest that the future political map of northwestern Somalia is more fluid than recognition advocates acknowledge.

Proponents often point to Somaliland's stability. However, genuine stability requires political integration, territorial legitimacy, and social consensus, which are currently absent in Somaliland. The secessionist project faces significant internal opposition: political disagreements, clan tensions, territorial disputes, and competing visions of governance remain unresolved. International recognition cannot erase these challenges but risks exacerbating them.

The argument that recognition of Somaliland should be driven by geopolitical competition in the Red Sea is also problematic. The Horn of Africa should not become another arena for local political disputes to be instrumentalized by regional rivalries. Sustainable security arrangements cannot be built on unresolved sovereignty disputes. History provides many examples of external powers pursuing short-term strategic interests only to find that local realities ultimately prevail.

Israel's involvement in the region further illustrates this danger. Instead of fostering cohesion, external intervention has generated new political tensions and deep concerns about militarization, foreign influence, and the future direction of regional governance. The assumption that foreign recognition of Somaliland will automatically bring stability lacks supporting evidence. Recognizing Somaliland would not only affect Somalia but also have impacts beyond the Horn of Africa.

The African Union has steadfastly committed to preserving inherited borders and resolving disputes through dialogue. Creating an exception without broad regional consensus risks reopening debates that many African countries have spent decades containing. The path to lasting peace and stability in Somalia lies not in fragmentation but in reconciliation, dialogue, and constitutional agreement among Somalis themselves.

The Somali government remains committed to dialogue, reconciliation, and constitutional processes that allow every Somali community to participate in shaping the country's future. Sustainable peace and stability will be achieved not through fragmentation but through inclusive political solutions that strengthen cooperation, legitimacy, and national unity.