The video “Somaliland—Africa’s Next Nation?” offers a concise yet rich overview of Somaliland’s unique political and historical position as an independent state that remains unrecognized by the international community.
Since restoring its independence in 1991, Somaliland has developed many characteristics of a functioning country—it has its own government, military, currency, and democratic system, and it is widely seen as more peaceful and stable than the rest of Somalia.
Despite these achievements, the video notes, “Somaliland deserves recognition by many standards, but politics are slowing it down.”
To understand why Somaliland remains in limbo, the video delves into the colonial and postcolonial history of the Somali people.
During colonialism, Somali territories were divided among different powers—British Somaliland in the north (now Somaliland), Italian Somaliland in the south (now Somalia), and additional Somali regions ending up in Djibouti, Ethiopia (Ogaden), and Kenya.
In 1960, British Somaliland gained independence and united with Italian Somaliland to form the Somali Republic. However, the union was fragile and never legally ratified, laying the groundwork for Somaliland’s eventual withdrawal.
Tensions worsened under the regime of Siyad Barre, who ruled Somalia through a clan-based dictatorship. While Somalia is ethnically homogeneous, it is politically divided along clan lines.
Barre’s regime favored his Darod clan, while the Isaaq clan, which dominates Somaliland, was heavily targeted—most brutally in 1988, when the Somaliland cities of Hargeisa and Burao were bombed in a campaign that left thousands dead.
After Barre’s fall in 1991, Somaliland declared its restored independence, arguing that the union with Somalia had collapsed in both practice and legality.
Unlike the rest of Somalia, Somaliland has experienced decades of peace. Its capital, Hargeisa, once devastated by war, has been rebuilt largely through community effort and diaspora funding.
Today, Hargeisa is a growing city with universities, markets, and a vibrant civil society. The video highlights symbols of development like the University of Hargeisa and even a Coca-Cola bottling plant, calling it a sign of “growing industry and investment.”
Somaliland’s economy is largely dependent on livestock exports, especially to Gulf countries, through the strategic port city of Berbera. The country also blends traditional Somali clan structures with modern democratic institutions, resulting in a “hybrid system of governance.”
While conservative in nature, Somaliland is open to education, diaspora engagement, and international cooperation. It issues its own passport, though it is not widely accepted, and uses the Somaliland shilling as its currency.
The country is also home to a unique cultural heritage, including Laas Geel, a site of 5,000-year-old cave paintings, which the video notes are among the best-preserved in Africa and only 15 km from Hargeisa. These add to Somaliland’s cultural identity and tourism potential.
Despite its progress, the video stresses that the lack of international recognition and tensions with Somalia remain major obstacles. The narrator concludes on a cautiously optimistic note, suggesting Somaliland’s stability, democracy, and strategic location could eventually win it the recognition it seeks—if it maintains peace, good governance, and attracts growing foreign support.
