Somalia is quietly absorbing Somaliland through UN mandates and foreign ambassadors who treat it as a federal region. This analysis exposes the mechanisms eroding Somaliland’s sovereignty
The article argues that Somaliland’s independence is being undermined by a silent campaign led by Somalia, facilitated by the UN and foreign ambassadors. Here’s a breakdown:
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Somaliland’s Perspective: Somaliland, which declared independence from Somalia over four decades ago, believes its sovereignty is being eroded.
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The UN’s Role: The author claims that UN missions like UNTMIS, intended to strengthen Somalia’s federal government, are treating Somaliland as just another region of Somalia, thus consolidating Somalia’s control over the territory.
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Foreign Ambassadors: The author criticizes foreign ambassadors accredited to Somalia who visit Somaliland, arguing that this legitimizes Somalia’s claim over Somaliland.
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Self-Inflicted Harm: The author contends that Somaliland is undermining its own independence by allowing UN missions with a Somalia-centric mandate and welcoming ambassadors accredited to Somalia. This sends a message that Somaliland is a federal member state of Somalia.
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Specific Examples:
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UN missions in Somaliland operate under mandates to strengthen Somalia’s territorial integrity.
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Security vetting of UN staff in Somaliland is allegedly conducted by Somalia’s intelligence agency.
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Data collected in Somaliland is used in Somalia’s reports.
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Workshops are used to gather data and test governance models for use in Somalia.
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Ambassadors promote a “One Somalia” policy.
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Somaliland as a Model: Somaliland’s stability is being used as a testing ground for programs that are then implemented in Somalia, strengthening Somalia’s government.
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Recommendations:
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Somaliland should request a UN Special Envoy specifically for Somaliland.
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Foreign governments should accredit dedicated envoys to Hargeisa (Somaliland’s capital).
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Somaliland should refuse to host UN missions tied to Somalia’s federal government.
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The Core Argument: Somaliland needs to actively defend its sovereignty through its actions. By allowing these practices, it is normalizing Somalia’s authority and jeopardizing its independence.
The complete piece is as follows:
Somalia Is Absorbing Somaliland through the UN—With Foreign Ambassadors Paving the Way
A Silent Campaign to Erase Somaliland’s Independence
By Ibrahim Mohamed
For more than four decades, Somaliland has fought to sustain its independence, reclaiming the sovereignty it briefly held in 1960 before a failed and illegal union with Somalia. Yet today, without a single shot fired, Somalia is quietly reclaiming Somaliland not through military force, but through United Nations mandates and foreign ambassadors who treat Somaliland as just another federal region of Somalia.
The transition from the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) to the United Nations Transition Mission in Somalia (UNTMIS) marks a turning point. These missions were created not as neutral humanitarian operations but to strengthen Somalia’s federal government, expand its reach, and consolidate its sovereignty over all territories, Somaliland included.
With UNSOM’s closure on October 31, 2024, UNTMIS now operates under UN Security Council Resolution 2753. Over the next two years, all UN operations in Somalia will be fully handed over to Mogadishu by 2026, enshrining Somalia’s sovereignty over every region of the country in the UN system.
Somaliland Treated as Just another Somalia Federal Region
The danger is not theoretical. UN offices and foreign envoys operating in Somaliland already act on the premise that Somaliland falls under Mogadishu’s jurisdiction.
Consider @UNSomalia’s January–February 2025 itinerary, billed as a tour of Somalia’s “federal regional administrations” to discuss elections:
- 14 January – South West
- 24 January – Galmudug
- 25 January – Puntland
- 28 January – Hirshabelle
- 31 January – Juballand
- 3 February – “Somaliland”
The message is clear, SomalilSomalia Somaliland UNand is treated like a federal state, its visit framed as just another regional stop in Somalia’s political calendar.
And the problem extends beyond UN missions. On the very day this article was written, the UK Ambassador to Somalia, Charles King, arrived in Hargeisa. Somaliland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdirahman Dahir Adan Bakaal, and the Director of the ministry, Mohamed Abdirahman, issued a statement:
“The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Somaliland Republic, Mr. Abdirahman Dahir Adan Bakaal, and the Minister of Finance, Mr. Mohamed Abdirahman, welcomed at Egal International Airport the Ambassador of the United Kingdom, Ambassador Charles King, who arrived on a working visit to the Republic of Somaliland.”
But Ambassador King is accredited solely to Somalia. He has no diplomatic mandate for Somaliland. By rolling out the red carpet, Somaliland’s leaders send a message that the UK’s Somalia-based ambassador represents them as well, a direct contradiction of their own sovereignty claim.
Self-Inflicted Harm: Sending the Wrong Signal
Every time Somaliland allows UN missions mandated to empower Mogadishu, or welcomes ambassadors accredited to Somalia, it undermines its own independence. International engagement is a mirror: how you allow others to treat you becomes your reality in the eyes of the world.
By providing offices, legitimacy, and ceremonial welcomes to entities that recognize Mogadishu’s sovereignty, Somaliland sends a dangerous message:
- That it sees itself as a federal member state, not an independent republic.
- That it is willing to accept the same diplomatic treatment as Galmudug, Puntland, or Hirshabelle.
- That its calls for international recognition are contradicted by its own actions.
This is self-inflicted harm, a form of diplomatic self-sabotage that erodes Somaliland’s hard-won gains.
How UN Missions and Ambassadors Are Absorbing Somaliland
- Mandate-driven assimilation: UNTMIS’s mission is to strengthen Somalia’s territorial integrity, embedding Somaliland into Mogadishu’s administrative framework.
- Security exposure: UN staff in Hargeisa are vetted by Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA), potentially granting Mogadishu access to sensitive security and governance data.
- Data appropriation: Statistics collected in Somaliland feed directly into Somalia’s reports, boosting Mogadishu’s governance credentials.
- Workshops as intelligence gathering: UNSOM uses “capacity-building workshops” in Somaliland to gather data and test governance models that are later replicated in Somalia federal states. Women and youth from Somaliland are unwittingly co-opted into programs that serve Somalia’s state-building goals.
- Ambassadors advancing ‘One Somalia’: Foreign ambassadors accredited to Mogadishu, following Sweden’s ‘One Somalia’ policy (adopted by the EU and Washington), actively pursue strategies designed to erase Somaliland’s separate status.
Somaliland as a Model for Somalia’s Revival
Somaliland’s stability makes it a laboratory for Somalia’s revival. UN agencies learn from programs implemented in Hargeisa and apply those “lessons” to Somalia’s conflict-prone federal states, strengthening Mogadishu’s hand while hollowing out Somaliland’s claim to independence.
A Path Forward: Demanding Direct Representation
If Somaliland wishes to protect its sovereignty, it must act decisively. International law provides for UN Special Envoys to engage directly with territories that are not fully recognized as states, Western Sahara, for example, has its own UN-appointed Special Representative.
Somaliland should:
- Formally request the appointment of a UN Special Envoy for Somaliland, establishing a separate institutional channel that acknowledges its distinct status.
- Demand that foreign governments accredit dedicated envoys or representatives to Hargeisa, rather than ambassadors based in Mogadishu.
- Refuse to host UN missions whose mandates are tied exclusively to Somalia’s federal government.
The Stakes: Sovereignty Must Be Practiced, Not Just Claimed
Every day that UNTMIS operates in Hargeisa and foreign ambassadors advance the #OneSomalia agenda, Somalia’s claim over Somaliland grows stronger in the eyes of the international community.
Sovereignty isn’t declared once it must be defended in practice. Unless Somaliland stops legitimizing Mogadishu’s claims through its own actions, its independence risks being absorbed not through invasion, but through the creeping normalization of Somalia’s authority via UN mandates, intelligence-gathering programs, and ambassadors who see Somaliland only as a Somali federal region.
Somaliland’s leaders must choose, 1: continue sending the wrong message, or 2: align their actions with their independence claim. The world is watching and taking notes.
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