Somaliland Did Not Surrender Sovereignty By Attending the London Conference

By Mohamed A. Omar, 16 March 2012

Mohamed A. Omar Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in the Republic of Somaliland.

analysis

Somaliland is re-engaging with international diplomacy related to its neighbour, Somalia. Our country has received widespread praise for its contribution to the recent London Conference. This event represented an important milestone in Somaliland’s diplomacy.

We participated in the conference as an equal, and we laid out our views about how Somaliland can help build peace and stability in Somalia. We are very grateful to the British Government for convening the conference and for inviting us.

It was the first time that Somaliland had ever taken part in an international conference dealing with the future of Somalia. Prior to the conference, some of our people had expressed reservations about Somaliland’s participation, because they were afraid that our Government’s presence in London could be misinterpreted by our international partners as endorsing an eventual return to unity with Somalia.

I believe that our government decisively addressed this issue in our statement to the conference, in which we underlined our view that our declaration of independence in 1991 is definitive. Had we not attended, we would have missed an opportunity to share this view with 55 delegations, represented at very high level.

Given these sensitivities, President Silanyo consulted widely with Somaliland’s political and civil society leaders before deciding to accept the invitation to the Conference. It was important that there be a strong mandate from Somaliland’s two legislative bodies, the Council of Elders and the House of Representatives. In fact, these two bodies had to change our law in order for President Silanyo to attend. This process illustrates Somaliland’s democratic credentials and our culture of consultation. The overwhelming backing for participation in the conference is a mark of our people’s political maturity.

The conference also provided us an opportunity to lay out our ideas about how to bring peace and stability to Somalia. We believe that attempts to find a solution to the problem of Somalia based on the de jure boundaries of the state risk undermining the very stability which the international community is seeking. Furthermore, focusing energy on the re-creation of a centralized state through a top-down approach ignores the realities on the ground, and the decentralized nature of Somali politics.

Somaliland offers a useful example in this regard, as several countries noted at the Conference. Somaliland built peace and democracy through an indigenous bottom-up approach, drawing on traditional conflict resolution methods. We believe that a similar approach is needed in Somalia, and we have offered to share our experience with our brothers and sisters in that country. We would of course be in an even stronger position to contribute to a stable and peaceful Somalia if we were recognised internationally.

The Final Communiqué issued from the Conference also recognised the need for the international community “to support any dialogue that Somaliland and the TFG or its replacement may agree to establish in order to clarify their future relations.” We believe that this clearly supports our vision of a dialogue between two separate entities, which treat each other as equals. It will, I hope, mark a starting point for constructive discussions about our relationship with Somalia, including an acceptance by the authorities in Mogadishu that our voluntary union failed long ago, and that the future stability of the region is best served by accepting Somaliland’s independence.

A number of bilateral meetings between President Silanyo and Ministers from other countries took place in the margins of the conference, all of which were conducted in a spirit of mutual respect and equality. These bilateral talks provided us with the opportunity to discuss concrete ways in which Somaliland can cooperate with other governments to our mutual advantage.

While in London, President Silanyo also attended the launch of the Somaliland Development Corporation at the British Houses of Parliament. The Corporation will facilitate international investment in Somaliland for the benefit of the Somaliland people, circumventing the present problem of non-recognition by providing a transparent, accountable and enforceable means by which international investors can participate in Somaliland ventures. Somaliland was honoured that Minister Henry Bellingham attended the event. The launch was also well-attended by members of Parliament from all major political parties in the UK.

All of this demonstrates that we did not surrender our sovereignty by attending the London Conference. On the contrary, we asserted and reaffirmed our status as a sovereign and responsible regional partner, and in the process garnered significant diplomatic, economic and political support. We will build on this so as to promote further the interests of our people.

Mohamed A. Omar is Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in the Republic of Somaliland.

Africanarguments.org:  http://africanarguments.org/2012/03/16/somaliland-did-not-surrender-sovereignty-by-attending-the-london-conference-%E2%80%93-by-mohamed-a-omar-foreign-minister-somaliland/

Breakaway Somaliland entity targets investors

Feb 24 (Reuters) – The breakaway enclave of Somaliland, which boasts oil and gas potential, has set up a UK-linked corporation to act as an entry point for investors concerned the Somali territory’s lack of international recognition would stop contracts being enforced.

On a visit to London to attend a conference on Somalia, President Ahmed Mohamed Silanyo told Reuters that the purpose of the Somaliland Development Corporation was to “to attract companies and institutions which want to invest in our country.”

“Since we are not a recognised country, insurance is always a difficult problem in Somaliland so if this can help with that, it would be useful.”

Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 and has enjoyed relative stability compared to the rest of Somalia, including the holding of a series of peaceful general elections, but remains unrecognised internationally.

Silanyo did not indicate what economic sectors he wished investors to target. But energy and mining minister Hussein Abdi Dualeh said in November the northern enclave had hydrocarbon potential with a geology similar to basins containing 9 billion barrels across the Gulf of Aden.

A number of big oil companies with permits to operate there left what is now Somaliland in the late 1980s and declared force majeure during Somalia’s escalating civil conflict.

Several foreign banks have expressed interest in operating in Somaliland where they are keen to capitalise on its untapped market potential. Somaliland has no formal banking sector and its people rely heavily on remittances from diaspora communities in Europe, North America and the United Arab Emirates, as there are no ATMs or loan facilities.

A briefing paper distributed to journalists on the sidelines of the London conference said that despite Somaliland’s “achievements in stability and democracy, international donors cannot deal directly with its government, and foreign investors face uncertainty about whether contracts – the basis of secure business – can be enforced”.

The SDC circumvented the problem of non-recognition by providing “a transparent, accountable and enforceable means by which investors can participate in Somaliland ventures”.

A not-for-profit company had been set up in Britain to act as the founding vehicle, with Somaliland’s Minister of State Mohamed-Rashid Hassan and Britons Myles Wickstead, a former diplomat, and Jeremy Carver, a retired international lawyer, as founding directors.

The SDC is owned by an incorporated trust, the Somaliland Development Corporation Trust, the paper said.

Oil discoveries would be a cash boon to Somaliland though hydrocarbons have often proven to be a curse to African nations as the opaque nature of the industry can breed corruption.

Colonised by Britain while the rest of Somalia was under Italian administration, Somaliland declared independence in 1991 as the rest of the country disintegrated into anarchy.

(Reuters)

At London Conference on Somalia, President of Somaliland calls on the international community to recognize his country

At London Conference on Somalia, President of Somaliland calls on the international community to recognise his country

London, 23 February 2012 — The President of Somaliland, Ahmed Mohamed Mohamud Silanyo, today attended the London Conference on Somalia. The Conference included political leaders from over 50 countries and international organizations, including US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

In his statement to the Conference, the President said that peace and stability in Somalia “will not be achieved by the top-down imposition of a re-created centralized state,” noting the tendency of the international community to focus on approaches that over-emphasize the role of central government institutions in Mogadishu. He instead laid out his views on a bottom-up process to building peace and stability in Somalia, drawing lessons from what worked successfully in Somaliland in the early 1990s.
President Silanyo said that he also firmly believed “that supporting and recognizing Somaliland would help to promote stability and recovery in Somalia.” He referred to Somaliland’s own experience of building “peace through an indigenous bottom-up process, drawing on traditional conflict resolution methods and Islam.”

Somaliland rejects the view that Somalia should be reconstituted within the boundaries that existed up to 1991. In his statement, the President said that “[t]he people of Somaliland chose the path of independence more than 20 years ago and we cannot turn back. To do so would be to deny our recent history, our achievements, and our political reality.” He added that “[a]s a democratically elected government, we must respect our people’s wishes.” The President also called for “an inclusive international discussion about the future of Somaliland, launching a process leading to the recognition of our state.”

Somaliland is a former British protectorate. It declared independence from Somalia in 1991 and has since enjoyed relative stability. It has held a series of democratic elections which have been deemed free and fair by international observers. Despite its impressive achievements, Somaliland has not been recognized internationally.

Call to recognise Somaliland

Godfrey Bloom MEP

UKIP MEP, Godfrey Bloom has called for Britain to recognise the state of Somaliland.

Speaking after the Africa Minister Henry Bellingham, dismissed the issue at the London Somalia Conference this afternoon at the Chatham House. Bloom said, “For 15 years the people of Somaliland have shown that a stable multi-party democracy can exist in the Horn of Africa. We owe them the decency of recognition for their toil.

“The country is characterised by regularly contested pluralist elections. It has a decent and trustworthy legal system. It is free trading and peaceful.

“For goodness sake,” he said, “it even locks up pirates when it gets hold of them. If we believe in self determination, which this government swears it does in the case of the Falklands and Gibraltar, then why on earth do we not accept the clear and present desire of the Somaliland people for self determination?

“The Commonwealth now accepts countries with no links to the UK, yet Somaliland was a British protectorate and isn’t allowed even to be an observer at the tables of the Commonwealth. It is a sick charade.

“If we are serious about helping the peoples of the Horn of Africa to develop, and live in peace with each other and the rest of the world, then maybe, just maybe our Government should have the courage an, honour and gumption to admit Somaliland into the ranks of the nations of the world.”

UKIP.org: http://www.ukip.org/content/latest-news/2607-call-to-recognise-somaliland

Horn of Africa: A lesson in stability from Somaliland

A lesson in stability from Somaliland

Recognition of Somaliland will have positive consequences for the Horn of Africa.

LEWIS CENTER, Ohio — Last month Al Shabaab, the Somali fundamentalist Islamist group with ties to Al Qaeda, claimed responsibility for a deadly truck bombing in Mogadishu in which more than 85 Somali students died as they waited in line to see if they had won scholarships to study in Turkey.

Somalia arguably is the world’s most ungovernable country, and a graveyard for many of the United Nations’ unsustainable policy initiatives.

But in reality Somalia is three different entities: Somaliland, Puntland and south central Somalia, where the current humanitarian disaster is unfolding.

Somaliland, the northern territory of Somalia, has shown itself to be a lawful and productive nation. Somaliland’s order contrasts dramatically with the rest of Somalia, which has collapsed into clan-driven violence, terrorism, piracy and lawlessness.

The chronic instability in Somalia highlights that America and the West must find a new pragmatic approach which reflects the new reality on the ground.

Luckily, an overlooked partner for peace and stability already exists — Somaliland, which re-declared its independence in 1991. It was briefly independent in 1960.

More: UN declares famine in Somalia

Right now the United States is expending vast resources supporting a fictional Somali government led by Sheik Sharif Ahmed. While for political reasons, the Obama administration has refused to support and recognize a source of strength in the area — the stable, functioning and democratic entity of Somaliland, which stands for freedom and democracy.

I believe recognizing democratic Somaliland would have positive consequences not just for Somalia, but for the whole Horn of Africa region. It offers a platform to stabilize southern Somalia, a bulwark against radical forces in the region and a reliable partner to combat the piracy that is the scourge of the Gulf of Aden and the Indian ocean.

Somaliland’s success shows the world that Somalis have the ability to manage their own affairs, reconcile various clans, compromise and govern themselves, with little or no outside help.

Somaliland as an example that could provide the rest of southern Somalia’s rival clans an incentive to stop fighting among themselves in the interest of their own citizens, to reach out adversaries for the sake of ending the civil strife, and to begin moving toward good governance.

More: Aid workers kidnapped by Al Shabaab

If southern Somali clans used the Somaliland model, they could develop a more stable society, which would start to alleviate the heavy burden the Somali refugees had on its neighbors, especially Kenya, which is hosting more than 600,000 people who have fled the current famine and the violence in southern Somalia.

Granting full diplomatic recognition for Somaliland would help it rebuild its shattered economy. With a stable economy, Somaliland would become stronger and be able to provide more resources for education, health, agriculture, water and economic development, which would improve the livelihood of its people, especially for young people.

This would be bad news for Al Shabaab, which controls much of central and southern Somalia, because its Al Qaeda-style extremist ideology would diminish.

More deadly drone attacks or proxy African troops alone will not dismantle or defeat Al Shabaab in Somalia.

Somalia’s chronic instability is causing piracy to thrive in many small ports in its coastline, and is costing the world economy billions every year.

Puntland, a semi-autonomous region in eastern corner of Somalia, is the hub of the pirates that now plague much of the Gulf of Aden and the north Indian Ocean.

But Somaliland, which has a nascent coast guard that has cracked down on piracy on its 585 miles of coastline, is willing to contribute significantly with the United States and the West efforts to combat piracy in the Gulf of Aden — one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.

If it were to become a member of the international community, Somaliland would be able to equip and modernize its counter-piracy operations and could become a reliable partner to the international community in eliminating piracy.

Recognizing Somaliland would not be the negative step some US State Department diplomats, particularly those who are experts on Africa, think it might be. I believe if America were to take the lead, many other countries would quickly follow.

It is time for President Barack Obama to lead the world and do the right thing by accepting the viable and sustainable solution — an independent and sovereign Somaliland.

Anything else would mean keeping the status-quo: more terrorism and chaos in Somalia, which could threaten the whole region. And for democratic Somaliland it would mean unjust delay for its diplomatic recognition and fewer resources to develop its economy. It would also leave the country to fend for itself from menacing piracy and extremism.

Ali Mohamed is co-founder of the Horn of Africa Freedom Foundation, a grass-roots level organization advocating for the advancement of freedom and democratic values for the indigenous people of the Horn of Africa.

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/opinion/111107/opinion-lesson-stability-somaliland

Somaliland needs its independence

 

All three of the Somaliland’s parties adamantly support secession from Somalia, which has been confirmed by a referendum in 2001

By Ahmad Mohamoud Silyano,

October 23, 2011

Drought, famine, refugees, piracy and the violence and terrorism endemic to the shattered city of Mogadishu, a capital ruined by civil war: these are the images that flash through peoples’ minds nowadays when they think of the Horn of Africa. Such perceptions, however, are not only tragically one-sided; they are short-sighted and dangerous.

Behind the stock images of a region trapped in chaos and despair, economies are growing, reform is increasingly embraced, and governance is improving. Moreover, with Yemen’s government imploding across the Red Sea, the Horn of Africa’s strategic significance for maritime oil transport has become a primary global security concern. In short, the Horn of Africa is too important to ignore or to misunderstand.

Of course, no one should gainsay the importance of combating famine, piracy, and militant groups like the Al Shabab. But, at the same time, we have seen my homeland, Somaliland, witness its third consecutive free, fair, and contested presidential election.

In the wider region, too, things are looking up. South Sudan gained its independence this July at the ballot box. And Uganda has discovered large new deposits of oil and gas that will help to lift its economy. After decades of enmities, the peoples and nations of the Horn of Africa are learning how to cooperate and align their interests. For example, Somaliland and Ethiopia are collaborating on the construction of a gas-export pipeline from Ethiopia’s Ogaden region, promising new jobs and income for people in one of the poorest and least-developed parts of the world.

Tolerant society

Although there is much that we can and will do to help ourselves, the Horn of Africa can still benefit from international assistance. But the international community needs to do more than provide food and medicine to victims of famine and drought. We need pro-growth investments that will help provide jobs for our peoples and products and resources for the world. That means focusing on promoting market economies and stable government, rather than subsidising failure and failed states.

Unfortunately, at least with respect to Somaliland, this is not the case. For 20 years, ever since we re-established our independence — we had voluntarily joined with Italian Somaliland to form Somalia in 1960 — the international community has closed its eyes to the successful democracy that we have built. Even more perverse, it appears to be demanding that we abandon the peaceful, tolerant society that we have established and submit to the control of whatever government — if there even is one — rules (or misrules) the remainder of Somalia from the rubble of Mogadishu.

Our successful democratic experiment is being ignored in part because of a hoary ruling a half-century ago by the Organisation of African Unity, the precursor to today’s African Union. Back then, with the recent demise of the colonial empires stoking fears of tribal rivalries and countless civil wars, the OAU ruled that the frontiers drawn up by the imperial powers should be respected in perpetuity.

A 2005 report by Patrick Mazimhaka, a former AU deputy chairman, cast doubt on the application of this rule in Somaliland. As Mazimhaka pointed out, the union in 1960 between Somaliland and Somalia, following the withdrawal of the British and Italian colonial powers, was never formally ratified. But his report has been left in a drawer ever since.

So when should a people be able to declare their independence and gain international recognition? The Palestinians’ decision to take their case to the UN has put this issue on the front burner. International law is of no help here; indeed, the World Court has offered only scant guidance.

The basic principles that I believe should prevail, and which Somaliland meets, are the following:

• Secession should not result from foreign intervention, and the barriers for recognising secession must be high;
• Independence should be recognised only if a clear majority (well over 50 per cent-plus-one of the voters) have freely chosen it, ideally in an unbiased referendum;
• All minorities must be guaranteed decent treatment.
• All three of Somaliland’s parties adamantly support independence, confirmed overwhelmingly by a referendum in 2001. So there is no question of one clan or faction imposing independence on the others. Yet, although Somaliland is deepening its democracy each day, our people are paying a high price because of the lack of international recognition. World Bank and European Union development money, for example, pours into the black hole that is Somalia, simply because it is a recognised government. Somalilanders, who are almost as numerous as the people of Somalia, are short-changed, getting only a fraction of the money wasted by Somalia.
• Justice demands that this change. The national interest of most of the world’s powers requires a Somaliland willing and able to provide security along its borders and in the seas off our coasts. Our people are willing. But, to paraphrase former British prime minister Winston Churchill, give us the tools, and the international recognition, so that we can finish the job.

— Project Syndicate, 2011

Ahmad M. Mohamoud Silyano is President of Somaliland.

Somaliland President Ahmed Siilaanyo today left for South Sudan to attend the Declaration of Independence of the Republic of South Sudan on the 9th of July, 2011

Somaliland President Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud Silanyo leaving for South Sudan today at Berbera International Airport 7th July 2011

 

Berbera-Somaliland President Ahmed Siilaanyo received an official invitation from the president of South Sudan Salva Kiir to attend the Declaration of Independence of the Republic of South Sudan on the 9th of July, 2011. South Sudan is set to become the 54th nation in the African continent after long fought civil against Northern Sudan’s rule that saw thousands of lives lost and millions displaced.

The invitation of Somaliland’s president Ahmed Siilanyo to South Sudan’s historic day has been welcomed with delight in Somaliland by both the government of Somaliland and its citizens. Somaliland believes it could use the south’s independence as a precedent as it seeks more support for its case for international recognition and become the 55th nation in the continent after South Sudan. Some foreign observers and politicians believe the Juba government will recognize Somaliland which will pave the way for other regional powers to follow.

Somaliland became a British protectorate in 1888 after the Berlin Conference of 1884-85 during which the European Powers effectively carved up the African continent between themselves. It was in June 26th 1960 upon an agreement signed between Britain and Somaliland that it became an independent country. At that time Somaliland was formerly recognized as the Republic of Somaliland by the UN and 34 countries, including Britain, USA and Egypt. Somaliland willingly decided to unite with South Somalia formerly Italian Somalia on July 1st, 1960 when the South gained their sovereignty from Italia. Somaliland however reclaimed its Sovereignty in 1991 after the overthrow of former dictator Mohamed Siyad Bare and his henchmen after a long brutal civil war.

Recognising Somaliland would boost the fight against piracy

Godfrey Bloom is a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for Yorkshire and the Humber,England for the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP)

16.06.2011

Attempts to tackle the scourge of piracy and keep the Red Sea open for merchant shipping.

On 6 June, Catherine Ashton, the EU‘s foreign policy chief, spoke to the Asia-Europe Meeting in Budapest and, among other things, she touched on the situation off the coast of Somalia, pointing out that 500 people have been imprisoned for piracy off the coast of Somalia and saying that the solution to piracy “lies on land”. It does, of course.

With the decent of Yemen and the port of Aden into chaos and with a very real risk that it will become the preserve of fundamentalists, one of the world’s most vital arteries has a distinct possibility of being cut.

So what to do? How can we help tackle the scourge of piracy and keep the Red Sea open for merchant shipping. Well, one simple way would be to recognise the country of Somaliland. A couple of weeks ago the peaceful democratic Islamic nation of Somaliland celebrated 20 years of independence. On the same day that Ashton was vapouring about things needing to be done, a Somaliland court put six pirates in prison for a total of 45 years.

Is it not time that this peaceful land was granted recognition by the international community? Not just because we morally should, but because it is in our interests to support the only part of that unhappy corner of the world that is looking forward to peace and prosperity?

Godfrey Bloom MEP

Brussels

Source: http://www.europeanvoice.com

Somaliland needs recognition, says leader

Somaliland President Ahmed Mohamed Silanyo said problems in Somalia should not be allowed to hinder Somaliland's development

By Simon Allison|AFP

The leader of Somaliland has called on the international community to give the breakaway state the recognition it “deserves” as it marks 20 years since a unilateral declaration of independence.

“It’s high time the international community gave consideration to the efforts of the people of Somaliland, and gives the recognition that the people of Somaliland need and deserve,” Ahmed Mohamed Silanyo, the self-styled president of Somaliland, told AFP in an interview.

Somaliland broke away from Somalia proper in 1991, the year in which the Horn of Africa nation started its long descent into violence and chaos with the overthrow of strongman president Mohamed Siad Barre.

Somaliland, which has had two decades of relative stability, last week celebrated the 20th anniversary of its “independence” declaration although it remains part of Somalia in the eyes of the international community.

Silanyo argued the impending recognition of South Sudan would strengthen Somaliland’s case for recognition.

“One problem with the African Union has been the idea that African borders should not be changed … But that argument does not hold true anymore,” said Silanyo, pointing out that in contrast to Sudan, which was a single country in colonial times, Somaliland was already separate from the rest of Somalia.

Silanyo said the problems in the rest of Somalia should not be allowed to hinder the development of Somaliland.

“The international community can see that the possibility of change in Somalia does not even appear on the horizon and that there is no reason why we should be held hostage for solutions to be found for Somalia,” he said.

“We hope that the international community will find solutions for Somalia, and we support the efforts of the international community in this regard, but certainly that should not be at our cost.”

Silanyo said that not having international recognition deprives Somaliland of its “rightful seat in the UN and AU” and means it receives no development aid.

On the various secessionist movements operating from within Somaliland — specifically those in the Sool and Sanaag regions — Silanyo said: “There are protests all over the world … We are no exception.”

He argued Somaliland is the most peaceful part of the region and that it has gone a long way towards establishing a democratic and participatory government. “If there are complaints here and there, so what?” said Silanyo, who is Somaliland’s fourth president since the territory uproclaimed its independence.

Silanyo, who has a degree from the London School of Economics and runs the Kulmiye party, took over from Dahir Riyale Kahin after winning the June 2010 polls. The vote was held without violence and the outgoing president gracefully conceded defeat.

Many voters and politicians voiced the hope that such a smooth transfer of power would once again prove their democratic credentials and strengthen their territory’s case for international recognition.

Some Western countries argue Somaliland deserves to become a fully-fledged country and thus gain access to more aid but the African Union is wary of setting a precedent they fear could spur secessions across the continent.

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/somali-breakaway-state-needs-recognition-says-leader-085338990.html

Healthcare and education gains as Somaliland marks 20th anniversary

WE'LL NEVER GIVE UP: President Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud Siilanyo

Republic of Somaliland has made key improvements in sectors such as health, education and infrastructure in the past two decades, its leaders say, despite its lack of international recognition.

“One of the main obstacles for Somaliland is lack of recognition, but my government will never give up trying to gain it,” President Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud Siilanyo said on May 18, when the region marked 20 years since declaring unilateral independence from the rest of Somalia.

Efforts in reconciliation, nation-building and drafting a new constitution have helped promote peace in the region, Siilanyo said.

“We have put in place a new currency and passport, encouraged democratisation and multi-party elections; improved access to healthcare and education, respect for human rights, freedom of expression, and facilitated a free market,” he said.

“[The rest of] Somalia has been in lawlessness during the last 20 years, and I am calling on the Somali politicians to look after their citizens and consider the problems they are living under, and resolve their differences so as to give peace a chance.”

Nimo Hussein Qawdhan, deputy health minister, said increased provision of healthcare services – by the government and private sector – was one of the developments made since 1991.

Qawdhan said Somaliland had also made gains in the fight against malaria. The past two years have seen the region become almost malaria-free, Qawdhan said.

The region has also de-mined large tracts of land mined between 1981 and 1991 during the war between the Somali National Army and the Liberation Movement for Somaliland, as well as during the war between Somalia and Ethiopia over the Ogaden region (now known as Somali region in Ethiopia).

“Literacy rates increased from 20 percent [in 1991] to 45 percent [in 2010],” an official from Somaliland’s Ministry of Education said.

“We had only a total of 219 primary, intermediate and secondary schools in 1991, but now we have about 506 primary schools throughout the country.”

A 2010 Millennium Developments Goals report for Somaliland put the region’s literacy rate of the population aged 15 years and above at 26.9 percent in 1999.

Besides education gains, Somalilanders also believe they have matured politically.

“The people of Somaliland have mastered how to overthrow their leaders through the ballot, not through the bullet,” Ahmed Yasin Sheikh Ali Ayanle, an opposition member of parliament, told IRIN.

Ayanle added that Somaliland’s first president, Abdi-Rahman Ahmed Ali (1991-1993), and his successors, Mohamed Ibrahim Egal (1993-2002) and Dahir Rayale Kahin (2002-2010), had helped establish peace and a respected constitution. “We hope [current] President Siilanyo will keep these efforts going.”

Some of those who fought in Somaliland’s 1981-1991 war said they were pleased with the progress the region had made.

“During the war, our mission was to overthrow [Somalia’s President Siad] Barre and give the people a chance to decide their future. It is the people who decided to dissolve Somalia’s unity, hence the creation of Somaliland,” Yusuf Abdi Gabobe, a war veteran, said.

IRIN