Senator Olivier Cadic, Vice-President of the French Senate’s Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defense and Armed Forces and President of the France-Gulf Countries Interparliamentary Group, urged France and Europe to actively support Somaliland during a recent Senate debate under Article 50-1 of the Constitution on France’s role in preventing and resolving international political crises.
In his intervention on behalf of the Union Centriste group, Senator Cadic spotlighted Somaliland’s achievements since restoring its independence from Somalia in 1991. He described the nation in the Horn of Africa as a model of stability, the rule of law, and consistent democratic elections.
Cadic highlighted the inconsistency in international responses to raising nations, pointing out that the peaceful dissolution of Czechoslovakia into the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993 was quickly recognized by European nations. He questioned why Somaliland, despite its peaceful, democratic record and effective governance, continues to be largely overlooked.
“France cannot remain a mere spectator,” Cadic declared, stressing that diplomacy is as vital to international security as justice is to domestic order. He called on France and Europe to defend democracies globally, assist peoples escaping unworthy regimes, uphold right over might, and protect sovereignty from coercion rather than settling for mere condemnation.
The senator connected Somaliland’s case to parallel challenges in Taiwan and other nations at risk, framing them as part of a fundamental 21st-century question: whether borders and sovereignties will be shaped by force or by law.
Cadic has long advocated for Somaliland, including during a 2023 visit where he met local officials and emphasized its functioning institutions, free elections, and state-like attributes as grounds for international recognition.
The speech by Senator Cadic in parliament aligns with the efforts of Somaliland’s ambassador to France, Abdirahman Yassin Mohamed, aimed at strengthening cooperation between Somaliland and France, as well as collaboration among key French political stakeholders, of which Senator Cadic is a part.
His remarks reflect growing parliamentary interest in France toward deeper engagement with Somaliland amid evolving dynamics in the Horn of Africa.
