Somaliland vs. Somalia
Somaliland is in the news lately:
The new breakaway country of Somaliland is proving to be a thorn in the side of Iran and its Houthi proxies. And here’s the interesting bit; even as negotiations with the United States are underway to try to bring an end to hostilities, Somaliland’s friendliness towards the United States and Israel, and their willingness to allow U.S. basing of military assets, including at the deep-water port of Berbera, is reportedly making Iran and the Houthis feel somewhat maladjusted.
“Iran is said to be ‘deeply threatened’ by the small African breakaway state, Somaliland, because of the potential for U.S., Israeli and Western powers to use its deep water port and airbase.
“Such moves would severely disrupt Iran’s plan to use their proxy, Yemen’s Houthi terror group, to attack Red Sea shipping.”
I’ve written this previous post about Somaliland. Since then, I’ve been wondering what makes Somaliland so different from its neighbor, Somalia, and so many other states in the region. I think the answer is probably complicated and probably contains many elements of which I’m unaware. But one is probably its different colonial history; Somaliland was a British colony and Somalia was an Italian colony. This can make a world of difference.
Here’s the history; the two areas actually diverged a long time ago:
Somaliland has been a distinct region from Somalia since the late 1800s. It was a British protectorate until 1960 (meaning a dependent territory, over which the British government exercised limited jurisdiction).
It then became independent for just five days.
At this point it merged with present-day Somalia, which was then under Italian rule, beginning a long and often violent struggle.
A rebel group, the Somali National Movement (SNM), emerged in Somaliland in the 1980s. In 1991 they declared Somaliland’s independence following the ousting of the military dictator Siad Barre, whose forces had killed tens of thousands of people during civil war along ethnic, clan-based lines.
The article also says the two regions are “culturally and ethnically distinct.” But Somaliland is also extremely poor and suffering from drought.
This is from a Somaliland website:
1 July 1960, Somaliland chose to unite with Somalia with the aim of creating a “Greater Somalia” that would unite all Somalis in five countries in the Horn of Africa including Northern Kenya, Italian Somalia, French Somaliland (Djibouti), and Eastern Ethiopia.
1961: Somalia betrayed the treaty that joined it with Somaliland by passing a different Act of Union in its National Assembly. …
The people of Somaliland had no say in the making of the constitution of the new Somali Republic. In a majority of Somaliland districts the 1961 referendum on the constitution was boycotted and the constitution rejected. One legal expert commented that the legal validity of the legislative instruments establishing the union were “questionable.”
?The early years of the union saw the steady political and economic isolation of former Somaliland. Political and military positions were awarded disproportionately to “southern” Somalis. The 1961 attempted coup by a group of highly qualified Somaliland military officers was an indication of the disenchantment with the union that Somaliland had entered into.
The whole thing led to a bloody civil war, with the Somali dictatorship killing many Somalilanders. Ultimately, though, Somaliland broke away and has been fairly stable since. It’s a completely Muslim country and yet – as I wrote in my previous post – very pro-Israel.
Typo: Somilia in title.
Yawn- Extremely poor and suffering from drought. So Somaliland seeks help from Israel because its Muslim neighbors won’t or can’t help!
Well, I don’t know much about Somaliland, but the enemy of my enemy and all that, and looking at a map, Berbera seems like one hell of a spot for a naval base.
But I think this is really some pretty easy decision-making. Would recognizing Somaliland make AOC’s head explode? If so, then it is almost certainly the right thing to do.
Different colonial history makes a HUGE difference in culture . My daughter is with State Dept . Her first posting was in Cameroon ??. The areas that were under British control in the past were neat and orderly and safe. The former French areas ,,not so much. Strong Democrat tradition as well,,the President gets re elected every time with 100% of the vote..
Somaliland just announced they are opening their own embassy in Jerusalem and 17 Muslim Garbage Dumps were offended. I mean I was just about to surprise my wife that as a goat lover I wanted to spend our annual vacation in Djibouti, when these idiots went all racist and religionist on the enlightened people of Somaliland.
So these clowns talk about the “integity” of Somalia? Is there a Comedy Central in Mecca?
Doha – May 24, 2026
“The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Republic of Turkey, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Republic of Indonesia, the Republic of Djibouti, the Federal Republic of Somalia, the State of Palestine, the Sultanate of Oman, the Republic of Sudan, the Republic of Yemen, the Lebanese Republic, the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, and the State of Kuwait condemn in the strongest terms the illegal and unacceptable step taken by the so-called “Somaliland” region in opening a purported “embassy” in occupied Jerusalem. This constitutes a flagrant violation of international law and relevant international resolutions, and represents a direct infringement on the legal and historical status of occupied Jerusalem.
The Ministers reaffirm their categorical rejection of any unilateral measures aimed at entrenching an illegal reality in occupied Jerusalem or conferring legitimacy on any entities or arrangements that contravene international law and relevant United Nations resolutions. They reiterate that East Jerusalem has been occupied Palestinian territory since 1967, and that any measures intended to alter its legal and historical status are null and void and without legal effect.
The Ministers further emphasize their full support for the unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia, and their unequivocal rejection of any unilateral measures that undermine the unity of Somali territory or infringe upon its sovereignty.
bof:
Thanks, fixed.
John Galt III:
They probably don’t want anyone seceding from them, too.
Ah the unforeseen raising it’s head in war!
Azerbaijan is another Muslim country with close ties to Israel, including an embassy in Israel. Strictly speaking, it’s not a Muslim country, just a country full of (mostly) secular Muslims. But still a good story, and a thorn in the side of Iran.
Should anyone want or need further evidence that the identity of the colonial power made/makes a huge difference, I give you The Bahamas and Haiti. The former (at least was) is a politically stable and eonomically advanced country and the latter is… everything you have heard and seen is abysmally true. The former was a British colony and the latter was Spanish then French, until the French were all driven off or massacred. And then there is India, to which Great Britain bequeathed parliamentarian democracy and freedom from suttee. But it seems that nobody really wishes to be ruled by a group other than ones own tribe no matter how enlightened or benign such extra-tribal rule may be. Of course, in many places, it seems that internecine conflict extends all the way down to ones own family. It is clear to me that once God decided to abandon His rule over all nations (Genesis 11, 8-9) save the one He picked as His Chosen People (Deuteronomy 32, 7-9), there was never a real possibility of live and let live. The gods who ruled the nations were always jealous of their position and the nations they ruled acted accordingly. I, for one, look forward to the resolution of Earthly conflict once The King returns. (Revelation 22, 1-5)
“Azerbaijan is another Muslim country with close ties to Israel, including an embassy in Israel. Strictly speaking, it’s not a Muslim country, just a country full of (mostly) secular Muslims. But still a good story, and a thorn in the side of Iran.”
and Israel’s #1 supplier of crude oil followed by Kazakhstan
@ Jimmy & John Galt in re Israel’s relationships with Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan:
I strongly suspect that most of the animosity toward Israel by the Middle East Muslims is tied to the long history of conflicts between Arab vs Jews as nations, rather than Islam (in non-Arab countries) vs Judaism as religions.
AesopFan:
It is a Mohammed thing. There wasn’t Israel as a nation until 1947. The Muslim hate predates.
Then we have Pakistan and India, both carved out of Indian colonies, with rather different post-Independence records. Whatever India’s faults, it has done decidedly better than Pakistan.
For a comparison of neighbors who were formerly French or British colonies, what about Ivory Coast (French) versus Nigeria(British)?
Have a listen to Haviv’s interview with Ambassador Mohamed Hagi, Somaliland’s first envoy to Israel
It really helped me understand this new, largely unrecognized country
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9xv7nAKjdk