In the past few days Somaliland has been working on its long-term goal of international recognition, and has sought to gain a closer relationship with another important nation in the region–the United Arab Emirates.  It would appear that Somaliland and the UAE were able to discuss matters of considerable interest to both nations in what appears to be a useful quid pro quo, if one reads between the lines.

Somaliland Is Open For Investment

According to Somaliland247, Somaliland attended a recent meeting of Middle Eastern business and government interests, and in a meeting with the UAE Secretary of Education made itself clear that it was open for business [1].  Somaliland praised the UAE and also laid down a series of needs–better education facilities, water (due to a drought in the troubled region), and foreign investment to help create jobs.  The fact that Somaliland’s people only use an average of 30 liters per day of water suggests the scope of the problem.  As the UAE is a nation with great expertise in desalinization plants, that is clearly an area where the UAE can provide expertise to Somaliland.

For its part, the UAE promised to provide humanitarian, investment, and educational aid to help Somaliland further develop.  It appears obvious that despite its long obscurity and its low international profile, Somaliland has something to offer the UAE that would make it worth the while of the desert monarchy to provide substantial and broad assistance.  But what would Somaliland have to offer to the UAE?

Somaliland President Backs Anti-Piracy Efforts

At the same time as Somaliland was present in the UAE discussing trade and investment, Somaliland’s president, Ahmed Mohamed Silanyo, made a major address supporting expansion of Somaliland’s efforts against piracy in the Gulf of Aden, including the expansion of pirate prisons within Somaliland’s territory [2].  It would appear as if the crisis of piracy off the coast of Somalia is tailor-made for helping Somaliland gain some international recognition as part of the civilized community of nations.  Its desire for trade and recognition and its willingness to fight piracy suggests that unlike the anarchic nation of Somalia to the east and South, Somaliland possesses the strength and will to help enforce the rule of law on the wild seas, so long as it has the recognition it deserves.

The efforts to stop piracy amidst the continuing anarchy of Somalia faced a new wrinkle, as the placing of pirate prisons in Somaliland would be a de facto recognition of Somaliland’s status as a state capable of acting as a party to international law and UN Resolutions.  Though it would appear very clear that Somaliland would win a plebiscite if one were held, the absence of a legitimate government in Mogadishu means that Somaliland has no one to treat with in order to gain its independence, unless a third party (like the AU or UN) were able to set up an internationally monitored election in Somaliland that would deal with the thorny issue of secession.

Here we see a very grim dilemma that the international community is beginning to realize.  The absence of an effective government in Somalia is leading to a chronic state of lawlessness that now threatens the security, safety, and prosperity of other nations that depend on shipping routes through the Suez Canal (and then the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden) for trade.  Somaliland, the most stable of the successor states to Somalia, has no desire or interest to remain a part of Somalia under whatever form of government it is able to muster.  However, the absence of an effective central government in Somalia means that there is no one for Somaliland to negotiate with for honorable terms of separation.

Here is where, interestingly enough, Abraham Lincoln, the staunch foe of the secession of the Deep South of the United States in 1861, has some advice in favor of secession in the precise situation that Somaliland is being forced to deal with.  In an 1848 speech in Congress, Abraham Lincoln said the following:  “Any people anywhere, being inclined and having the power, have the right to rise up, and shake off the existing government, and form a new one that suits them better. This is a most valuable,– most sacred right–a right, which we hope and believe, is to liberate the world. Nor is this right confined to cases in which the whole people of an existing government, may choose to exercise it. Any portion of such people that can, may revolutionize, and make their own, of so much of the territory as they inhabit [3].”

It is my belief that Somaliland has long had the desire to exercise that sacred right of revolution, to take its place as a recognized nation.  Their original revolution was against the tyranny of Siad Barre’s government in the late 1980’s, a dictatorship which made savage war against their cities, and sought to wage genocidal warfare against their people.  Somaliland was successful in that effort, and it has held on to its independence through two decades of peace, where it has elected leaders in peaceful and democratic elections.  It has, through its anti-piracy efforts and its efforts to trade with foreign nations that it desires to have an honorable place within the community of nations as a law-abiding state.  Its security and well-being and the interests of its people have been threatened by both tyranny and anarchy, the two justifications an area has for revolution from its larger nation–just as the United States had just cause in rebellion in 1776, and Texas had in 1835, in the combination of tyranny and anarchy and the absence of legitimate authority over it.

Furthermore, in order for the international community to make headway against piracy in Somalia it must find and build up legitimate nations where they may be found–and nowhere may they be found within the remnants of the former Somalia more developed and more legitimate than in Somaliland.  Therefore, the way forward for the international community is clear–recognize Somaliland’s independence after an internationally monitored election set up by some body of nations like the African Union or the United Nations to ensure the election is free and fair for all of those in Somaliland on either side of the independence issue, without coercion or harassment on either side.  Then have the international community speedily accept the results, providing aid to the independent Somaliland state, under its current de facto borders where it exercises its authority, and provide with the aid and assistance and recognition it needs and deserves.  If you want to fight against piracy in the Gulf of Aden, there is your roadmap to greater stability in the region.

UAE Agrees To Coordinate Anti-Piracy Efforts With Somaliland

This is, presumably, the nature of the discussion that Somaliland’s leadership had with the UAE concerning their joint desire to quash piracy in the Gulf of Aden, according to reports by Somaliland247 [4].  The UAE offered praise for Somaliland’s efforts against piracy, and commented that piracy was having a damaging effect on the economy of the UAE, which is heavily dependent on maritime trade.  The need for the UAE for seas free of menacing pirates and the need of Somaliland for military aid and greater naval power for its own security interests along with international recognition appear to meet.  A stronger Somaliland capable of preserving the freedom of the seas means greater stability and security both for Somaliland and for other law-abiding nations, and would provide Somaliland with a guarantee of having the force necessary to preserve its sovereignty and independence.

The fact that the UAE recognizes the threat of piracy to its own interests and is willing to treat with the Somaliland government as an interested party with whom it can coordinate anti-piracy efforts means that Somaliland’s goals of showing itself as a law-abiding member of the international community, willing to abide by international norms of behavior and capable of enforcing the rule of law within its borders appears to be largely successful in light of the growing threat of Somali piracy to the trade efforts of other nations.  The UAE therefore can be said to join India, Denmark, Norway, Kenya, and the Seychelles, as a nations with whom Somaliland has been working to fight piracy.  The seriousness of these efforts suggests that Somaliland has a very excellent case for resolution of its international status, so long as piracy remains a threat to the security and economic health of the international community.

What this means, in brief, is that Somaliland possesses a quid pro quo–the security and well-being of the world depends on crushing piracy off the coast of Somalia.  This requires a strong and healthy and independent Somaliland.  Therefore, since the resolution of the piracy issue requires a resolution of Somaliland’s status as an independent state, we see that military efforts against piracy must be combined with economic efforts to develop the Horn of Africa and diplomatic efforts to provide for international recognition for Somaliland.  It is only in the context of a broad-based international effort that Somalia and Somaliland can find a better future, and provide a safer environment for other countries to peaceably trade and sail as well.  And thanks to this past week, the United Arab Emirates has set itself up as an interested party in these broad efforts for mutual benefit between Somaliland and the international community.

[1] http://somaliland247.wordpress.com/2011/04/18/somaliland-president-meets-uae-minister-of-higher-education/

[2] http://somaliland247.wordpress.com/2011/04/21/somaliland-president-backs-piracy-prisons/

[3] http://www.animatedatlas.com/mexwar/lincoln2.html

[4] http://somaliland247.wordpress.com/2011/04/23/somaliland-fm-meets-uae-foreign-minister/