African Union (AU) must allow Somaliland to be a Sovereign and independent State

Deeq A. · 2026-01-17T20:06:26Z

African Union (AU) must allow Somaliland to be a Sovereign and independent State amid failure to stop Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni’s dictatorship and rigging of elections.

Friday, 16th January, 2026

By Zweli Martin Dlamini

When Israel announced that it was formally recognizing Somaliland as an independent and Sovereign State a few weeks ago, the African Union (AU) was quick to rebuke what it described as foreign interference in the affairs of the African continent while disregarding the incompetence in promoting democracy and, holding dictators accountable.

Yoweri Museveni, the Ugandan dictator who has been in power for forty(40) years, switched-off the internet ahead of elections this week and subsequently, the Elections Commission released preliminary results suggesting that, he is leading in the Presidential elections.

But despite these clear acts of vote rigging, the AU will recognize him as a legitimate President of Uganda even after undermining democratic principles and/or the will of the people.

The African Union has a huge responsibility in this regard to ensure that, member State subscribe and uphold the founding principles and values of the organization previously known as the Organization of African Unity (OAU), allowing dictators to rig elections, persecute the opposition and restrict access to information at the critical time of elections, undermines the legitimacy of the organization.

Indeed, one of the fundamental and founding objectives of the AU as outlined in the Constitutive Act of the African Union, is to promote democracy and human rights in accordance with the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights but, the organization is turning into a group of dictators with absolutely no regard for democracy.

What Museveni did ahead of the elections by switching-off the internet before indirectly announcing himself as the President-elect through the captured Ugandan Elections Commission, will set a bad precedent, other dictators within the continent will just switch-off the internet, restrict access to information and then, rig the elections.

The onus is upon the African Union to prove its legitimacy and commitment to democratic principles and values, recognizing Museveni as the legitimate President would mean, the AU is failing to hold member States and dictators accountable.