Written by Ayanle Omer Iden
4.1.1 African Union: and Formation and Recognition Somaliland,poleserio in contrast to Eritrea.
“Somaliland” has reasserted the separate existence it had as the colony of British Somaliland before independence and union with the former Italian Somalia in 1960. It has avoided the devastation of warlordism that has afflicted the rest of Somalia through compromise politics between clan elders.
However, its de facto statehood since 1991 has not received the international recognition accorded Eritrea in 1993.The experiences of Somaliland recognition accorded Eritrea in 1993. The experiences of Somaliland and in the circumstances of their Post Colonial Union with other entities, in their Liberation movements and in their current politics are contrasted. It is suggested that there can be mutual learning form Somaliland’s consociatonal ethnic democracy and Eritrea’s ‘radical social democracy’ of an eventual, orchestrated muti- partism that eschews ethnic and religious divides.
[The member states affirm]......respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of each state and for it’s inalienable right to independent existence(Charter of the organization of African Unity(OAU),Article III,paragraph 3).
On the contrary, it will take much courage for the OAU and it’s members to champion this unorthodox but politically beneficent reality.But once it gains local acceptance, bilateral and multi–lateral donors must hearken to the needs of the Eritrea’s and Somaliland republics in precisely the same manner as they have the Baltic republics and other new European states,.
On May 24,1993, Eritrea conduct an internationally monitored referendum to determine it’s future status; the vote was overwhelming for independence.The United Nations, the US, Ethiopia, Italy immediately recognized as the new state.
From May 1991, Eritrea had enjoyed autonomy but two years later it was able to garner international recognition which ‘invests it with a personality in the law of nations’,former Italian and British colonies in Somalia gained independence and formed the Somali Republic in 1960.
On 17 May 1991,the resistance movement and important groups in the former northern British colony,dissolved the union and declared formation of the Republic of Somaliland.This entity has since existed bearing characteristics generally attributed to a ‘state’ but devoid of international recognition. Somaliland’s leaders till–ask why recognition of their statehood has been withheld .
On the other hand, this article seeks to probe such comparisons and provide a considered over all assessment .It offers some historical, constitutional legal context before comparing and contrasting the two liberation movements and their implications.These comparisons with Eritrea allows us a deeper grasp of the Somaliland situation by illustrating it’s uniqueness and salient peculiarities.It also offers a perspective on a general issue of post-cold war Africa is bound to confront : how far the principle of the territorial integrity should be subordinate to what some consider a higher principle..... the principle of self–determination.
From the point of view of the Organization of African Unity(OAU), self–determination is to be exercised only once, at the time of decolonization from European domination,and it is not subject to continuous review.The emerging post cold war environment is beginning to nourish a new thinking that is both flexible and pragmatic,Kenyan intellectual Michael chege recently reignited old Africanist debates with the perspective“there is nothing remiss about altering state frontiers in the nobler interests of domestic tranquility and sustained economic growth,which are now so scarce in these lands”.
This article will sustain such debates: useful insights into the operation of the principle of self-determination and it’s problematic elements could be gained by an analysis of Somaliland’s and Eritrea’s comparative claims to the political sovereignty .African states are more likely to cofront movements demanding out right secession .
However, the crucial difference involves historical timing:recent experience suggests militarist suppression of regional autonomy movements could transform them into separatist movements.This comparison has also policy implications for the new States:Eritrea and Somaliland coud learn from each other’s experiences. For Somaliland, Eritrea could gain greater sensitivities and flexibility in matters involving ethnic/clan issues:Somaliland, could profit form Eritrean methods to evolve class and other cross-cutting identities and institutions.Both Eritrea and Somaliland can learn from Somalia’s multi–party parliamentary era(1960-1969).The article provides greater details on Somaliland and only summary analysis of Eritrea because there is hardly any serious publications on Somaliland while publications of Eritrea excel in both quantity and quality.
On the other hand, Eritrea is located along 1,000 kms on the west coast of the red sea on the Horn of Africa.Somaliland(the term utilized here to refer to the former British Somaliland) is similarly located, separatist from Eritrea by the tiny “Republic of Djibouti – formerly French Somaliland”.Eritrea’s modest land surface offers a great range of environmental and ethnic variety: highlands,deserts, the savannah and the severe volcanic ecology of south arabia and the Djibouti zone,some areas suitable for agriculture, others for pastoralism.Hence, Eritrea is a pluralist society of farmers and pastoralists from diverse ethnic groups,languages, religions).
Ayanle Omer Iden
iidaan_20@hotmail.com
Dannish Demining Group- DDG , Hargeisa Office
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