Foreign relations of Somaliland
Encyclopedia
Foreign relations of Somaliland are the responsibility of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Somaliland
is a de facto independent state, which is regarded by all foreign governments as part of Somalia
. The country's self-declared independence remains unrecognised by the international community.
Due to its status, the Republic of Somaliland currently has no official contacts with any nation. International recognition as a sovereign, stable state
, remains at the forefront of the government's current foreign policy. Other key priorities are encouraging international aid and foreign investment.
The position of the Arab League
, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and United Nations
and the African Union
favouring the preservation of existing national borders has so far prevented recognition
of Somaliland's sovereignty. An African Union fact-finding mission that visited Somaliland in early 2005 recently published a report that recommended favourable consideration for recognising Somaliland's independence.
, and Djibouti
, as well as with Belgium
, France
, Ghana
, Kenya
, South Africa
, Sweden
, and the United Kingdom
. On 17 January 2007, the European Union
sent a delegation for foreign affairs to discuss future cooperation. The African Union
has also sent a foreign minister to discuss the future of international acknowledgment, and on January 29 and 30, 2007, the ministers stated that they would discuss acknowledgement with the organisation's member states In June 2007, Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi
held a conference with Somaliland's President Kahin, during which he was referred to in an official communique by the Ethiopian Foreign Ministry
as the President of Somaliland, the first time that Somaliland has been officially referred to as a sovereign state by a foreign government. While this is not claimed as a move to official recognition by Ethiopia, it is seen as a possible step toward a unilateral declaration by Ethiopia in the event of the African Union failing to move its recognition of Somaliland forward.
In 2007, a delegation led by President Kahin was present at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting
in Kampala
, Uganda
. Although Somaliland has applied to join the Commonwealth
under observer status
, its application is still pending.
On November 27, 2007, Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck
of the ELDR, one of three main parties in the European Union, mailed a letter to Javier Solana
(the High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy and the Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union
), and to President Kahin of Somaliland, which called upon the EU to recognise Somaliland. In December 2007, the United States
government discussed whether to back the shaky transitional government in Mogadishu
or to acknowledge and support the less volatile Somaliland secessionists.
In early 2006, the National Assembly of Wales extended an official invitation to the Somaliland government to attend the royal opening of the Senedd
in Cardiff
. The move was seen as an act of recognition by the Welsh Assembly of the breakaway government's legitimacy. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office
made no comment on the invitation. Wales is home to a significant Somaliland expat
community.
In 2002 Germany considered recognising Somaliland and establishing a military base in the country. They did not do so and the naval base was established in Djibouti. German naval ships already operated from Berbera.
In February 2010, there were rumours that Israel might recognise Somaliland. The rumours turned out wrong. Additionally, there was an arms smuggling affair involving Somaliland and an Israeli arms dealer.
.
Such offices exist in the following cities: Addis Ababa
Djibouti
London
Paris
Pretoria
Stockholm
Turin Washington D.C.
The following foreign governments have diplomatic offices in Hargeisa
: – consulate; headed by a diplomat with the rank of ambassador
. Ethiopia also maintains another consulate in the neighboring autonomous Puntland
region. It has an embassy in Mogadishu
, Somalia's capital.
As of February 2010, the Yemen
i government is reportedly planning to open a diplomatic office in Hargeisa. In October 2010, Yemeni officials and the Puntland administration also agreed to establish a similar consulate and commercial office in the Puntland region.
, over the Sanaag
and Sool
areas, some of whose inhabitants have allegiances to Puntland.
Somaliland's leaders have distanced themselves from Somalia
's central Transitional Federal Government
, which they see as a threat to their independence.
s, which are not recognised by any country, although neighbouring states Djibouti and Ethiopia accept them as unofficial travel document
s.
Somaliland
Somaliland is an unrecognised self-declared sovereign state that is internationally recognised as an autonomous region of Somalia. The government of Somaliland regards itself as the successor state to the British Somaliland protectorate, which was independent for a few days in 1960 as the State of...
is a de facto independent state, which is regarded by all foreign governments as part of Somalia
Foreign relations of Somalia
Foreign relations of Somalia are handled primarily by the President as the head of state, the Prime Minister as the head of government, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Transitional Federal Government....
. The country's self-declared independence remains unrecognised by the international community.
Due to its status, the Republic of Somaliland currently has no official contacts with any nation. International recognition as a sovereign, stable state
Sovereign state
A sovereign state, or simply, state, is a state with a defined territory on which it exercises internal and external sovereignty, a permanent population, a government, and the capacity to enter into relations with other sovereign states. It is also normally understood to be a state which is neither...
, remains at the forefront of the government's current foreign policy. Other key priorities are encouraging international aid and foreign investment.
The position of the Arab League
Arab League
The Arab League , officially called the League of Arab States , is a regional organisation of Arab states in North and Northeast Africa, and Southwest Asia . It was formed in Cairo on 22 March 1945 with six members: Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan , Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Syria. Yemen joined as a...
, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
and the African Union
African Union
The African Union is a union consisting of 54 African states. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established on 9 July 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity...
favouring the preservation of existing national borders has so far prevented recognition
Diplomatic recognition
Diplomatic recognition in international law is a unilateral political act with domestic and international legal consequences, whereby a state acknowledges an act or status of another state or government in control of a state...
of Somaliland's sovereignty. An African Union fact-finding mission that visited Somaliland in early 2005 recently published a report that recommended favourable consideration for recognising Somaliland's independence.
Overview and history
Somaliland has political contacts with its neighbours EthiopiaEthiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
, and Djibouti
Djibouti
Djibouti , officially the Republic of Djibouti , is a country in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Eritrea in the north, Ethiopia in the west and south, and Somalia in the southeast. The remainder of the border is formed by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden at the east...
, as well as with Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. On 17 January 2007, the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
sent a delegation for foreign affairs to discuss future cooperation. The African Union
African Union
The African Union is a union consisting of 54 African states. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established on 9 July 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity...
has also sent a foreign minister to discuss the future of international acknowledgment, and on January 29 and 30, 2007, the ministers stated that they would discuss acknowledgement with the organisation's member states In June 2007, Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi
Meles Zenawi
Meles Zenawi Asres is the Prime Minister of Ethiopia. Since 1985, he has been chairman of the Tigrayan Peoples' Liberation Front , and is currently head of the ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front .Meles was born in Adwa, Tigray in Northern Ethiopia, to an Ethiopian father from...
held a conference with Somaliland's President Kahin, during which he was referred to in an official communique by the Ethiopian Foreign Ministry
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Ethiopia)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the Ethiopian government ministry which oversees the foreign relations of Ethiopia....
as the President of Somaliland, the first time that Somaliland has been officially referred to as a sovereign state by a foreign government. While this is not claimed as a move to official recognition by Ethiopia, it is seen as a possible step toward a unilateral declaration by Ethiopia in the event of the African Union failing to move its recognition of Somaliland forward.
In 2007, a delegation led by President Kahin was present at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting
Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2007
The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2007 was the twentieth Meeting of the Heads of Government of the Commonwealth of Nations. It was held in Kampala, Uganda, between 23 November and 25 November 2007, and was hosted by President Yoweri Museveni....
in Kampala
Kampala
Kampala is the largest city and capital of Uganda. The city is divided into five boroughs that oversee local planning: Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division and Lubaga Division. The city is coterminous with Kampala District.-History: of Buganda, had chosen...
, Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
. Although Somaliland has applied to join the Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
under observer status
Observer status
Observer status is a privilege granted by some organizations to non-members to give them an ability to participate in the organization's activities. Observer status is often granted by intergovernmental organizations to non-member states and international nongovernmental organizations that have...
, its application is still pending.
On November 27, 2007, Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck
Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck
Anne-Marie Cécile J. Neyts-Uyttebroeck is a Belgian politician andMember of the European Parliament for Flanders with the Vlaamse Liberalen en Democraten, part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe and sits on the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs.She is for the...
of the ELDR, one of three main parties in the European Union, mailed a letter to Javier Solana
Javier Solana
Francisco Javier Solana de Madariaga, KOGF is a Spanish physicist and Socialist politician. After serving in the Spanish government under Felipe González and Secretary General of NATO , he was appointed the European Union's High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy, Secretary...
(the High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy and the Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union
Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union
The Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union heads the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union. The current Secretary General is Uwe Corsepius, who entered office on 26 June 2011....
), and to President Kahin of Somaliland, which called upon the EU to recognise Somaliland. In December 2007, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
government discussed whether to back the shaky transitional government in Mogadishu
Mogadishu
Mogadishu , popularly known as Xamar, is the largest city in Somalia and the nation's capital. Located in the coastal Benadir region on the Indian Ocean, the city has served as an important port for centuries....
or to acknowledge and support the less volatile Somaliland secessionists.
In early 2006, the National Assembly of Wales extended an official invitation to the Somaliland government to attend the royal opening of the Senedd
Senedd
The Senedd , also known as the National Assembly building, houses the debating chamber and three committee rooms for the National Assembly for Wales in Cardiff. The Senedd building was opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 1 March 2006 and the total cost was £69.6 million, which included £49.7M in...
in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
. The move was seen as an act of recognition by the Welsh Assembly of the breakaway government's legitimacy. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, commonly called the Foreign Office or the FCO is a British government department responsible for promoting the interests of the United Kingdom overseas, created in 1968 by merging the Foreign Office and the Commonwealth Office.The head of the FCO is the...
made no comment on the invitation. Wales is home to a significant Somaliland expat
Expatriate
An expatriate is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country and culture other than that of the person's upbringing...
community.
In 2002 Germany considered recognising Somaliland and establishing a military base in the country. They did not do so and the naval base was established in Djibouti. German naval ships already operated from Berbera.
In February 2010, there were rumours that Israel might recognise Somaliland. The rumours turned out wrong. Additionally, there was an arms smuggling affair involving Somaliland and an Israeli arms dealer.
Diplomatic Representative Offices
Somaliland maintains representative (liaison) offices in several countries, but these missions do not have formal diplomatic status under the provisions of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic RelationsVienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations
The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961 is an international treaty that defines a framework for diplomatic relations between independent countries. It specifies the privileges of a diplomatic mission that enable diplomats to perform their function without fear of coercion or...
.
Such offices exist in the following cities: Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia...
Djibouti
Djibouti (city)
The City of Djibouti is the capital and largest city in the Republic of Djibouti, a nation in the Horn of Africa. The biggest settlement on the Gulf of Tadjoura, it lies on a peninsula that separates that basin from the Gulf of Aden.-History:...
London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
Turin Washington D.C.
The following foreign governments have diplomatic offices in Hargeisa
Hargeisa
Hargeisa is a city in the northwestern Woqooyi Galbeed region of Somalia. With a population of approximately 2 million residents, it is the second largest city in the country. Hargeisa is the capital of Somaliland, a self-declared republic that is internationally recognized as an autonomous region...
: – consulate; headed by a diplomat with the rank of ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
. Ethiopia also maintains another consulate in the neighboring autonomous Puntland
Puntland
Puntland , officially the Puntland State of Somalia , is a region in northeastern Somalia, centered on Garowe in the Nugaal province. Its leaders declared the territory an autonomous state in 1998....
region. It has an embassy in Mogadishu
Mogadishu
Mogadishu , popularly known as Xamar, is the largest city in Somalia and the nation's capital. Located in the coastal Benadir region on the Indian Ocean, the city has served as an important port for centuries....
, Somalia's capital.
As of February 2010, the Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
i government is reportedly planning to open a diplomatic office in Hargeisa. In October 2010, Yemeni officials and the Puntland administration also agreed to establish a similar consulate and commercial office in the Puntland region.
Disputes
Somaliland is in dispute with an autonomous region of Somalia, neighbouring PuntlandPuntland
Puntland , officially the Puntland State of Somalia , is a region in northeastern Somalia, centered on Garowe in the Nugaal province. Its leaders declared the territory an autonomous state in 1998....
, over the Sanaag
Sanaag
Sanaag is an administrative region in northern Somalia. Its capital city is Erigavo.Sanaag has a long coastline facing the Gulf of Aden to the north, and is bordered by the Somali regions of Woqooyi Galbeed, Togdheer, Sool and Bari....
and Sool
Sool
Sool is an administrative region in northern Somalia.-Overview:With its capital at Las Anod, Sool is historically known for being the seat of the anti-colonial Dervish movement....
areas, some of whose inhabitants have allegiances to Puntland.
Somaliland's leaders have distanced themselves from Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
's central Transitional Federal Government
Transitional Federal Government
The Transitional Federal Government is the current internationally recognized government of the Republic of Somalia. It was established as one of the Transitional Federal Institutions of government as defined in the Transitional Federal Charter adopted in November 2004 by the Transitional...
, which they see as a threat to their independence.
Organisational membership
Somaliland is a member of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO).Passports
Somaliland issues its own passportPassport
A passport is a document, issued by a national government, which certifies, for the purpose of international travel, the identity and nationality of its holder. The elements of identity are name, date of birth, sex, and place of birth....
s, which are not recognised by any country, although neighbouring states Djibouti and Ethiopia accept them as unofficial travel document
Travel document
A travel document is an identity document issued by a government or international treaty organization to facilitate the movement of individuals or small groups of persons across international boundaries...
s.