COLONIAL BORDERS of Africa define territory, nation, independence and recognition of each African country. Organisation of African Unity has been holding up Somaliland recognition since withdrawing from the union with Somalia in 1991 to appease Somalia, a recognition that would be based on Somaliland British Protectorate colonial borders. Somaliland achieved independence before Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Gabon, Chad, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Benin, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Kenya, Algeria, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia etc.

Organization of Africa Unity (OAU) has been purposefully helping Somalia with the misinformation and baseless claim that Somaliland is secessionist or breakaway province of Somalia when knowing that Somaliland achieved independence on June 26, 1960 based on its Somaliland British Protectorate colonial borders before Somalia while Somalia achieved independence on July 1, 1960 based on its Italian colonial borders. Somaliland covers exactly the same area of Somaliland British Protectorate. Somaliland is located between 08°00′ – 11°30′ parallel North of the Equator (Latitudes) and between 42°45′ – 49°00′ Meridian East of Greenwich (Longitudes). It is bordered by the Red Sea to the North (Southern Coast of Gulf of Aden), Djibouti to the NorthWest, Ethiopia to the South, and Somalia to the East. Somaliland has a coastline lying along the Gulf of Aden (Red Sea). The country is slightly larger than England, with an area of 176,000km² (110,000 sq. miles) and with a population around 5.8 million (Est. 2021).

Unions, federations or confederations are dissolvable but original independence and recognition of countries are permanent. Unions, federations or confederations are dissolved after sharing countries have strong disagreements over the fairness of the system or even engage in wars like Somaliland and Somalia. Senegal and Gambia shared federation in 1982 and dissolved it in 1989. Egypt and Syria shared union in 1958 and dissolved it in 1961 then each one of these countries retained its original independence and recognition they had before. Somaliland is not an exception. Eritrea became independent country too of Ethiopia in 1991.

African borders, like Arab World and Asia borders, are based on land and not on tribe or on clan lineage and subclans of the same clan inhabit in different African countries due to colonial demarcations. That is why the Declaration of African Conference in 1964 of Reaffirming Colonial Borders was important to protect African colonial borders in order to prevent tribal wars seeking postcolonial reunifications that would plunge the whole continent into endless violence, anarchy, chaos and tribal bloody wars. Existence, peace and stability of Africa depend on respecting, recognizing and implementing colonial borders and they are unalterable.

OAU recognized secessionist South Sudan which was an integral part of Sudan during colonial times, sharing colonial borders and history with it but blocking Somaliland legitimate recognition which was not part of Somalia and not sharing colonial borders and history with it. OAU breached Declaration of African Conference in 1964 on Reaffirming, Recognizing and Protecting African Colonial Borders by recognizing South Sudan in 2011. Recognizing Somaliland does not breach Declaration of African Conference in 1964 on Reaffirming Colonial Borders but enhances it because it would be based on Somaliland British Protectorate legitimate colonial borders as the diplomatic recognition of each other African country is based on its colonial borders. Somaliland Republic has the choice, as an option, to sue OAU at ICJ for blocking its legitimate recognition and the damage it caused.

[N.B: Somaliland leaders are strongly recommended to pay special attention to this short article clearly explaining Somaliland’s unchallenging case for recognition when dealing with OAU and the International Community. Somalilanders, wherever they are, are also urged to share this article as many as you could].

#Ibrahim Hassan Gagale

December 31, 2022

EMBLEM OF AFRICAN UNION & SOMALILAND INDEPENDENCE PROCLAMATION