Sir Gavin Williamson, a UK Member of Parliament (MP), argues that the international community, particularly the United Kingdom, should officially recognize Somaliland as an independent country. He reiterates the urgency, saying, “The time to recognize Somaliland is now, before it’s too late.”
In his latest comment published on Politics.co.uk on April 9, 2025, Williamson believes recognizing Somaliland is urgent and critical. He portrays Somalia as a failing state plagued by terrorism, lawlessness, and human rights abuses and led by an ineffective president. He accuses the Somali president of making baseless claims against Somaliland’s infrastructure, suggesting an attempt to control the region.
He contrasts Somalia with Somaliland, describing the latter as stable, functional, democratic, and a key ally.
He highlights Somaliland’s strategic location, particularly the Berbera Port, which controls access to important shipping lanes. He warns that if Western nations don’t recognize Somaliland, China, Iran, and Russia will exploit the situation and gain influence in the region, threatening global trade.
He cites UN statistics showing high poverty levels and a low ranking in the Human Development Index for Somalia, arguing that Somalia’s president is failing his people.
He emphasizes the urgency of the situation, stating that delaying recognition of Somaliland will only worsen the situation and allow “rogue nations” to dictate strategic territories. He concludes that “The time to recognize Somaliland is now before it’s too late.”
In essence, Williamson’s piece advocates for recognizing Somaliland as a way to secure Western interests, support a democratic ally, and counter the growing influence of China, Iran, and Russia in the region, while highlighting the failure of the current government in Somalia.
The full MP comment is as follows:
Gavin Williamson: ‘The Time to Recognize Somaliland is Now — Before it’s too Late’
The worldwide recognition of Somaliland cannot be ignored for even a second longer. Somalia is a failed state. The president is already proving a liability — failing to combat terrorism, lawlessness on the streets, and presiding over an appalling human rights record.
Baseless and damaging claims regarding the legitimacy of critical infrastructure such as Berbera Port and Berbera Airport represent nothing more than a land grab and a desperate attempt to laud power over a sovereign state in Putin-like fashion.
Therefore, the world, including the United Kingdom, must wake up and recognize Somaliland to not only reward a key ally but also for the crucial benefit of Western intelligence, including a say over one of the most strategic maritime checkpoints in the world.
China, Iran, and Russia are watching with eagle eyes. They are hoping that Western nations miss a crucial opportunity to fill a vacuum and allow their totalitarian regimes to form a destructive coalition with Somalia that will have devastating consequences for global trade.
We have already seen Chinese, Iranian, and Russian aggression in shipping lanes as they seek to exert their influence, disrupt supply chains, and damage the economy of democratic nations. Failing to recognize Somaliland would allow this to continue at pace.
Somaliland’s Berbera Port presents a direct line of access into the Gulf of Aden and the Bel el-Mandeb Strait, a passage through which almost 12% of global trade flows. China has been flooding the region to form economic and military alliances, whilst Iran’s proxy war with Yemen has crashed economies and held goods at ransom.
Expansionist rhetoric and propaganda can only be combatted by recognizing Somaliland—a stable, functional, and successful nation with a strong record of holding democratic elections. In stark contrast, Somalia is wracked with infighting and provides a haven for piracy with a president willing to use his own people as collateral in a never-ending campaign of self-promotion and regional dominance. As war ravages in Somalia, peace prevails in Somaliland. Therefore, it is simply astonishing that governments across the world are making a conscious decision to put Somaliland’s future in the hands of the despots that are running Somalia into the ground.
Figures from the United Nations lay bare the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Somalia. The recent poverty report shows that 52% of Somalis are living well below the poverty line, with the government failing to put sufficient measures in place to combat natural disasters and alleviate the severe deprivation across the country. Somalia was the lowest-ranked African country in the Human Development Index — ranking 193 in the worldwide standing. The Index itself was created to demonstrate how a country supports the wellbeing of its citizens and thus Somalia’s positioning makes for sobering reading. The only conclusion that can be drawn is Somalia’s president does not care about his people, infrastructure, or development of human rights.
The litany of abuses that Somalia’s president has presided over is endless. His direction of travel is creating international turmoil, and the only way to achieve stability as well as to prevent rogue nations dictating strategic territories, is to recognize Somaliland. Dithering will only worsen an already dire situation. The time to recognize Somaliland is now before it’s too late.
About Sir Gavin Williamson
