“The Word No One Dared to Say” is an opinion piece/analysis arguing for the recognition of Somaliland as an independent nation.
The author, M. Amin, identifying as the “self-appointed ambassador of Somaliland,” highlights the following points:
The “Word”: The article centers on a moment in August 2025 when a world leader (implied to be Mr. Trump) publicly mentioned “Somaliland,” marking a significant break from decades of silence on the issue.
Historical Context: Somaliland briefly gained independence in 1960 before uniting with Somalia. This union, according to the author, was never legally formalized.
Suppression of Somaliland’s Identity: Following the collapse of Siad Barre’s regime in Somalia (1991), Somali diplomats allegedly continued to represent a unified Somalia and actively suppressed Somaliland’s reassertion of independence, portraying it as a separatist movement.
The Isaaq Genocide: The author accuses these diplomats of downplaying the Isaaq genocide (1987-1989) in Somaliland, framing it as mere “tribal conflict” to garner international aid while obscuring the Somali government’s role in the atrocities.
Invalid Union: The author reiterates that the union between Somaliland and Somalia was never legally sound. Somaliland’s independence, therefore, simply restores its original colonial-era borders, which align with the African principle of uti possidetis.
The Power of Recognition: The author praises Donald Trump for uttering the word “Somaliland” in an international forum, arguing that this single word broke decades of silence and oblivion surrounding Somaliland’s existence.
The author believes this acknowledgment opens the door for justice, truth, and recognition of Somaliland.
The complete piece is as follows:
“The Word No One Dared to Say”
Highlights from the Self-Appointed Ambassador of Somaliland
By M. Amin, freelance journalist and researcher in Hargeisa, Somaliland
The moment came in the midst of pomp: global leaders celebrating a truce in the Caucasus, a flash of press cameras—and one man, labeled reckless, impulsive, dangerous, and unflinching. He leaned into the microphone and said a single word: “Somaliland.”
The hall fell silent. Diplomats looked down at empty pages. That word—six syllables, sixty‑five years suppressed—exploded across the room.
I. A Name Buried
In June 1960, Somaliland declared independence from Britain—briefly ascending as a sovereign state recognized by dozens of countries. Five days later, it entered a union with Somalia—but that union was never legally formalized. No treaty was ratified, submitted, or registered as required under Article 102 of the UN Charter. (The case for Somaliland’s recognition and SomTribune analysis)
II. The Architects of Silence
When Siad Barre’s regime collapsed in early 1991, its diplomats didn’t fade—they proclaimed themselves the continued voice of Somalia.
Said Abdullahi Osman, former UN ambassador, became Assistant Secretary-General of the OAU just days after Somaliland reasserted its independence.
Others—Fatun Mohamed Hassan, Abdulrahman Jama Barre, Ahmed Mohamed Qaybe, Wais Serar, and an unnamed female diplomat—maintained international platforms, portraying Somaliland as a “self-declared separatist.”
III. Erasing Genocide as “Tribal Conflict”
Between 1987 and 1989, the Isaaq genocide devastated Somaliland. Cities like Hargeisa and Burao were obliterated—90% and 70% destroyed, respectively—displacing hundreds of thousands. Death tolls range from 50,000 to upwards of 200,000, with one of the world’s largest refugee crises unfolding in the Horn of Africa. (Isaaq genocide summary and UN investigations)
UN investigations confirmed the atrocities as genocide—planned, conceived, and perpetrated by the Somali government. (Statement on the Isaaq genocide)
Yet when the same diplomats later entreated the world for aid, they recast genocide as tribal strife, citing resolutions born of the very campaigns they once orchestrated.
IV. A Union That Never Was
This union has always been a mirage. No valid binding instrument exists. Votes were boycotted, legal ratification never occurred, and there’s no document on record with the UN. Somaliland’s independence restores colonial-era borders and honors the African principle of uti possidetis—that former colonial boundaries define post-independence borders. (Recognition of the Somaliland legal case)
V. One Word. A Century of Reckoning
And then, on August 8, 2025, someone said, “We’re working on Somaliland’s status.”
No disclaimers. No propaganda. Just one word—Somaliland—cracking open three decades of silence.
VI. A Voice from the Shadows
Now, I speak not as an accredited diplomat but as the self‑appointed ambassador of Somaliland to the world at large. My government has been denied a voice. You rebuffed us. But tonight, I break that silence.
Thank you, Mr. Trump—whatever names your critics brand you with: reckless, impulsive, dangerous—you see this clearly. You spoke one word, and it shattered 65 years of enforced oblivion.
“Somaliland.”
Let it echo. Let it stand for justice, for truth, for recognition of Somaliland.
