I am amazed by the enthusiasm
people from Somaliland have about their country. They point to the
territory`s growing economy and the development of a democratic
political system that works better than many others on the continent.
But most important of all, they are proud of a society that has gone a
long way in the restoration and maintenance of peace.
I have also been in touch with
people who are critical of the clan system that has been established.
The critics also say foreigners easily get trapped by Somaliland`s
propaganda and that Somaliland is nothing but an artificial state
recognized by no-one. They fear that the model developed in Somaliland
could result in a formation of several Somali states and a permanent
disintegration of Somalia.
Somaliland is a breakaway region
of Somalia that declared independence from the rest in 1991. The policy
of the African Union is that countries must stick to the boundaries
they were given at independence. Therefore Somaliland is still not
recognized by the international community. But the territory has lobbied
hard to win support for its claim to be a sovereign state.
It seems as if it is up to the African Union to decide what happens to Somaliland.
President Ahmed Silanyo feels
strongly about the importance of international recognition: "If we are
granted international recognition during my presidency, we would put on
the biggest celebration the world has ever seen".
Recently there has been an
increased interest from the rest of the world in the development model
worked out in Somaliland. International contact is increasing and some
development organizations have initiated programmes in the country.
Some observers, however, also
look upon the lack of foreign engagement in the building of modern
Somaliland as an advantage. The local political process was allowed to
proceed with all its time-consuming traditional consultations with
little or no help from outside. Somaliland succeeded in building a
system which was initially based on clan politics and respect for
elders, but over time incorporated more modern political institutions.
By building on existing forms of
governance instead of ignoring them, not relying upon external
resources and agendas, but relying heavily upon remittances from its own
people in exile, Somaliland is very different from the other Somalia.
Ali Mazrui says that Somaliland
did succeed in gathering momentum as a case of "bottom up" nation
building, rooted in culture and energized from within.
One key factor behind the
success of Somaliland is all the people returning from the diaspora with
their knowledge, experiences and resources. They helped to drive the
economy and play an important role in politics. Mary Harper refer to
them as the "Somaliland pioneers".
It is my impression that the
international community is prepared to recognize Somaliland if the
African Union decided to change its policy.
There is no doubt that
Somaliland has demonstrated to the world that it is a somali state that
is much more than war, hunger, Islamist extremism and piracy. But
poverty and unemployment are still widespread as in many other African
countries.
Even with all its weaknesses, Somaliland is a most
impressive example of progress and stability, and should be acknowledged
for that.
Source: http://bistandogutvikling.blogg.no
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