The United Kingdom (UK) formally withdrew from the European Union (EU) at 11 p.m. on Friday, after nearly half a century of membership. As the Republic of Somaliland left the Union with Somalia on May 18, 1991.
The departure, 1,317 days after Britain voted to leave the bloc, carries not only enormous symbolic weight but also significant legal consequences. It concluded three years of fractious debates over whether the country should really leave the bloc, the terms of its departure, and the kind of relationship it should forge with Europe.
For Somaliland, this is very good news because the United Kingdom is now free to either recognize Somaliland or refuse without alluding to EU principles that the issue is solely between Somaliland and Somalia, states Jama Awil Tarabi a British citizen of Somaliland origin.
According to Tarabi who is an expert on European law specifically family and trust laws, BREXIT now concluded is exactly similar to the withdraw of 30 years ago of Somaliland a former British protectorate from its 1960 voluntary later turned fateful union with Somalia a former Italian colony to its south.
Says he, “in 1973 the United Kingdom without any cohesion thence voluntary joined then European Economic Community-EEC present European Union, just as Somaliland did on the 1st of July 1960“
In a briefing to the Horn Tribune newspaper in Hargeisa, the Briton said that in most cases international history repeats itself at different times thus the UK finds itself in a difficult position to negate the Somaliland quest for recognition as a sovereign nation.
According to the European law expert, there is no existing law anywhere that deters a nation to withdraw from a voluntary union with another as Brexit has proven.
”It now puts the UK in a very difficult position as pertains to the three decades elusive recognition of Somaliland,” says Tarabi adding that the route pursued by the UK is slightly opposite that of Somaliland which had to fight its way out of the now-defunct union with Somalia courtesy of massive butchery and displacement of its people as well as destruction to both public and private property.
He added, “Since the European Union attributes Brexit to the referendum of 2016 why not acknowledge the Somaliland referendum of 2001?” Stressing that this a double standards by the European Union for political purposes whose ultimate goal is to ensure Somaliland returns reunites with the on fire Somalia, Lawyer Tarabi says that the ball is now in the British half field for the kingdom hasn’t any longer the European Union position on Somaliland recognition excuses.
Since the UK shall still be under EU laws for the duration of the transition period that expires on 31st December 2020, it is advisable that Britons adopt policies with Somaliland and Somalia just as the EU does with The European Economic Area EEA member counters until the Brexit transition period expires.
Created in 1994, the European Economic Area (EEA) combines the countries of the European Union and member countries of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) to facilitate participation in the European Market trade and movement without having to apply to be one of the European Union member countries.
The European Economic Area EEA includes European Union countries and also Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway. It allows them to be part of the EU’s single market.
Switzerland, previously participating, was neither an EU nor EEA member but was part of the single market so Swiss nationals had the same rights to live and work in EEA countries as other EEA nationals. However, Switzerland no longer participates in the European Economic Area. Now, Croatia has submitted an application to participate.
In conclusion Lawyer, Jama Awil Tarabi a resident of Wolverhampton in the West midland UK says that it is time for his adopted country to act and act correctly ass pertains to Somaliland, its former protectorate in the Horn of Africa.