Recognition will never come

[Burn Notice]

Somaliland: Recognition Will Never Come

18 Sep 18, 2010 - 2:12:50 PM

 

By: Cali Caraale

 

Somalilanders are an optimistic lot. They have been waiting for recognition from the international community for almost twenty years without success yet not once have they doubted that their holy grail is just round the corner; that Africa, America, Britain Ethiopia or perhaps even Israel will see the justice of their cause and award them the recognition they believe they richly deserve.

 

Watching Europe and America recognise over twenty new nations in Europe and Eurasia during the same period they were struggling for the same right does not seem to dim their cheery expectation that their day will come too. Being resolutely ignored and on occasion deliberately humiliated by all regional and international institutions is dismissed as mere temporary impediments on their historic journey to ultimate glory.

 

One can only admire their naïve convictions but there is a terrible truth Somalilanders must one day wake up and face: they are not going to be recognised any time soon and perhaps never will be. Not by Europe loth to have yet another begging-bowl stretching African non-state calling on their recession depleted foreign aid packages. Not by America whose African policy is currently shaped by a cabal of African-Americans brought up on the romantic notions of Negritude and Pan-Africanism and who consider any further breaking up of `big village mother Africa’ as tantamount to racial treachery.

 

And they are certainly not going to be recognised by dictatorial Arab nations viscerally opposed to any form of geopolitical change in their region lest it gives their restless populations unwanted ideas. Somalilanders dillydallying with that tiresome Western stuff called democracy does not help matters at all.

 

And forget the AU members, unless, perhaps, Somalilanders could muster a slush fund to grease the palms of those eager, smiley lawmakers across the continent who are open to negotiations on all affairs, for the right price. Somaliland has no access to such wealth at this stage; partially because they are forced by lack of recognition to spend most of their meagre resources on maintaining an oversize army in order to survive in this bad neighbourhood. Analysts in Hargeisa, the capital like to point out if Somalia were to attack Somaliland tomorrow as it did in the late 80s it will not be seen as a foreign invasion but as a civil war or even, incredibly, a Nation State justifiably ‘pacifying’ a rogue region.

 

And finally to kill off any chance of this desert entity ever getting on a world map, they have managed to accumulate an extraordinarily diverse collection of enemies determined to smother the place to death before it gets born. Egypt is one such enemy. Cairo believes that a strong, united Somalia is essential element in its biblical, existential struggle with Ethiopia over the life-giving waters of the Nile. Cairo is completely deluded as usual (Modern Egypt has a history of bad analysis, planning and strategy on regional matters) because Somaliland will never be part of Somalia again but the Mubarak regime still issues telling statements about ‘the sovereignty…and territorial integrity’ of Somalia every time the issue of Somaliland is raised by sympathisers in the AU, UN or the Arab League.

 

Saudi Arabia is equally hostile to the very idea of a free, democratic, secular little new nation across its red sea waters. The UN bureaucracy is so hostile to the place it even refuses to mention its name.

 

All of this rule out any chance of recognition unless there are tectonic, miraculous political sea changes in the area. Somalilanders may still hope but miracles only occur in ancient religious tales not in cold, modern-day political realities. They need to face this awful truth not matter how painful and spend their energies on ways of living without recognition rather than hankering after its mirage.

 

http://www.garoweonline.com/artman2/publish/Opinion_20/Somaliland_Recognition_Will_Never_Come.shtml

[Jacaylbaro]

Garowe Online ..........

[Duufaan]

was not Garoowe online friendly website lately or ONLF incident has changed things.

[General Duke]

It will never come, that's a sime truth that no one can ignore.

[Saalax]

lol@ garoweonline.

[MoonLight1]

I believe Ethiopia is the key to the recognition of Somaliland since its the west's agent and watch tower of the horn, and since it hosts the HQ of the African Union. If the Ethios recognise S'land then it will be followed by the big powers, Ethiopis is in a dilemma here, it weighs between the pros and cons of recognising S'land, the cons seems to be outweigh the pros. Lets see what the pros are.

 

If Somaliland becomes and independent country then that is the end of Western Somalia (Og4denia) issue since you have two nations who will be very weak in the eyes of the Ethiopians and neither of them (S'land & Somalia) will dare to claim Western Somalia (Og4denia).

 

But the cons are more deadlier than the pros and that is. A new nation called S'land will encourage separatism all around Africa and especially fragile Ethiopia where the Afars, The Somalis, The Oromos etc will want its homeland dependency. For that reason Ethiopia will never recognise S'land.

[Thankful]

Exactly, Ethiopians have people from all the 3 major religious living together, numerous ethnicities, languages and cultures as well. They will never support separatism, plus remember they were against Eritrea's independence and fought a brutal war, so they can't be against that and then recognize another enclave in region.

[AfricaOwn]

Originally posted by Jacaylbaro:

Garowe Online ..........

Enough said..anything coming from the ssdf side is dismissed quick fast.

[AfricaOwn]

Originally posted by General Duke:

It will never come, that's a sime truth that no one can ignore.

The restoration of your Somaliwayne Vs SL Recognition. a Vegas casino bet.

[General Duke]

The restoration of the Somali republic which is a recognized entity and a UN member nation Vs. A clan enclave which declared itself a seperate nation yet who's founding father Abdirahman Tuur renounced after a few years.

 

Somalia will return and Puntland is the key.

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

Garowe and most of Bintiland waxay isku mashquuliyaan somalilands aqoonsi ,, mean time attam is Preparing his last strike on bosaaso

[Taleexi]

Ethiopia will not recognize "Somaliland" because of geopolitical reasons. Clearly, Ethiopia's interests are served well in the status quo. SL, PL, and the TFG being friendly agents to her, where anything asked by Ethiopia to any of them expedited fast enough. If I would be in charge in Ethiopia and sit in Addis, I wouldn't antagonize either of them as long as my interests are served well... This is the immediate rejection against SL quest of recognition. The far reaching one is the uncertainty of the domino effect of the Ethiopian social fabric in proper if SL recognition is considered.... Zenawi proofed to be smarter than JB, X_X and Silaanyo's brains combined.

[AfricaOwn]

Originally posted by General Duke:

 

Somalia will return and Puntland is the key.

Originally posted by Burn Notice:

 

By: Cali Caraale

 

an optimistic lot. They have been waiting for almost twenty years without success

When will Somalia return? Its been over twenty years now.

[Taleexi]

When will the recognition come it is been 20 years as well?

[AfricaOwn]

^^I guess we both have to answer the same question, so it will be silly to ask each other that same question..