Somaliland could be a powerful friend: It’s time for Britain to recognise that , the time to recognise Somaliland is now, and Britain is the right country to do it first
Sir Gavin Williamson
MP for Stone, Great Wyrley and Penkridge
Imagine a country that saw its early years tainted by war and genocide. Imagine a country that has received almost no foreign aid and operates on a budget of £250 million.
Imagine a country that, despite these setbacks, has held six democratic elections in the last 35 years and has established a level of stability its neighbours could only dream of. That country is Somaliland.
Somaliland is the poster child for everything Britain encourages its partners to be. It is democratic, it is stable, and it stands on its own two feet. It has also proven its worth as a capable ally in the fight against terrorism and piracy. And yet, as it marks 65 years since Britain granted its independence, we still haven’t recognised it as separate from Somalia.
This is all the more puzzling given that the two states could not be more different from each other. While Somaliland has established itself as an oasis of stability and security, Somalia has taken somewhat of a different path. Not content with being a haven for pirates and members of al-Shabaab, Somalia is also home to a dictator who upholds basic human rights with the same diligence as Vladimir Putin.
Meanwhile, Britain gives this dire state of affairs the diplomatic “thumbs up” by funnelling hundreds of millions of pounds into Somalia and refusing to recognise Somaliland as a separate nation. Even the most sympathetic of observers would struggle to see how the Foreign Secretary can call this policy either “progressive” or “realistic”.
But the case for recognising Somaliland is not just a moral one. At a time when budgets across Whitehall are being stretched and development funding is being slashed, recognising Somaliland is a policy that would give Britain bang for its buck.
Unlike its neighbour, Somaliland is open for British business. Its crown jewel is the Port of Berbera, which looks out onto the Gulf of Aden and offers a front-row seat to some of the world’s busiest shipping routes. The state also has vast untapped oil and gas reserves, which have already attracted the interest of several British companies.
The country’s economic and strategic significance has not gone unnoticed to the likes of China and Russia, the former of which has poured money into neighbouring Ethiopia. However, in a sign of defiance to Beijing’s debt-trap diplomacy, Somaliland chose to recognise Taiwan and established itself as a counterbalance to Chinese influence in the Horn of Africa. It is utterly baffling that we continue to turn our back on such a ready and willing ally in one of the most geopolitically pivotal regions.
While Britain falls asleep at the wheel, attitudes in Washington DC are changing fast, and whispers of Trump moving to recognise Somaliland grow louder each day. But unlike our friends across the pond, our ties run deeper than contemporary geopolitics.
Whether it is the Somalilanders who sailed on British ships before forming a diaspora in port cities such as Liverpool, or those who fought side by side with British troops in the World Wars, their past is also our past. Bound by this shared history, it would be a shame for Britain to play second fiddle to the US in the story of Somaliland’s independence.
The time to recognise Somaliland is now, and Britain is the right country to do it first. In a world that is more volatile than it was yesterday, Britain needs all the partners it can get. And an independent, recognised Somaliland would be more than a partner – it would be a friend.
