Somalia Has Just Become a Recognized Country. So What Does That Now Mean for Somaliland?

[Jacpher]

Somalia, located in the Horn of Africa, has for years been plagued with problems of instability, piracy and extremism. But on January 18, after about two decades without formal relations, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton officially recognized the government of Somalia, for having turned itself around.

 

For Somalia, this is wonderful news, but what does this statement mean for Somaliland, an unrecognized state, located in the northern tip of Somalia, that declared its independence from Somalia in 1991? The country is a fledgling democracy which has its own constitution, held peaceful elections, opened schools and universities, established a central bank that prints its own currency and has its own security mechanism.

 

Karthik Pottipatti, 24, an Indian American graduate of Claremont Mckenna College in politics and winner of a German fellowship to study economics at the Freie Universitaet, Berlin, spent six months last year teaching at the University of Hargeisa -- Somaliland's flagship public University. Karthik is currently studying law at Harvard University. His experience living, working and traveling, with a military style canvas duffle bag, has shed light on a country which he describes as a peaceful forward thinking Islamic democracy.

 

I interviewed Karthik about his experience and the following is an excerpt of the interview:

So why did you decide to go to Somaliland?

 

I was interested and curious about Somaliland because it's a functioning democracy without any interference or influence from the west. The country has built democratic institutions without having a modern history of democracy.

What did you teach at the University of Hargeisa and what was your experience like?

 

Under the foreign teacher's program, I taught English and Economics to freshmen, sophomores and juniors. There are more than 1500 students enrolled in bachelor degree programs at the University of Hargeisa. The school runs a comprehensive program, including the important task of training the countries medical doctors.

 

But unfortunately the university does not compare when it comes to faculty or facilities or resources for students. This is not for lack of effort but more of a reality of living in an area where resources are very limited, and where international recognition limits how much assistance they can get from other universities and other governmental and non-governmental organizations.

 

You speak about Somaliland's lack of recognition. How does that impact the students?

 

Since the country is unrecognized there are not many international scholarship programs available for these students. Personally this is a shame as Somaliland is a democracy just like ours and there are a few students I felt who could take advantage of an education in the U.S. or Europe.

 

For a country where the educational infrastructure is being built from the ground up, it is important for students to go to other countries and learn best practices and bring it back to Somaliland. The country needs professionals -- from well-trained economists who can run the central bank, and design an Islamic banking system that is conducive to growth and investment, to medical professionals who can educate the next generation of doctors in the country.

 

Secondly, the lack of recognition serves as a disincentive for other organizations to make partnerships with universities within Somaliland. This has effected the University of Hargeisa as it is currently not internationally accredited.

 

Somaliland was completely destroyed when Said Barre's forces bombed the country during the civil war. When the war ended in the early 90's the country had to rebuild from scratch. The intellectual community that fled Somaliland prior to the war left a void that now needs to be filled.

Maybe the international community is weary of getting involved because of the security situation in Somaliland? What was your experience there like?

 

Somaliland is mainly a stable country, and all foreigners must live with security personnel. We had guards living with us in the house, but this did not deter me from going on runs in the morning with my colleagues.

 

I did not feel that we were in danger and this has a lot to do with the Somaliland government's interest in keeping at bay terrorist groups like the Al Shabab, which was an active force in southern Somalia (the Shabab is a militant group that has ties to al-Qaeda).

 

Somaliland has been vigilant in fighting the Shabab. And this is not just the police. Ordinary Somaliland citizens recognize that the Shabab is a dangerous and intolerant group. Because the country is clan based, outsiders are immediately spotted and the Somaliland police work with NGO's to eliminate the threat.

 

What was your experience living in a Muslim country? Were you under pressure to convert to Islam?

 

I had to dress conservatively in business casual clothes. In a Muslim country there is less freedom in what you can do and in expressing yourself. They did encourage me to convert but I never felt pressured to convert as they don't believe in forced conversions to Islam.

 

Somaliland is a testament to capitalism. You can find things here from the U.S., China and India. When we talk of Islam and democracy, many times we feel these are odds with each other. But here is a country that has generated a working democracy by itself.

 

 

Soon after Karthik left Somaliland, the foreign teachers program was closed. After hearing of Somalia's recognition he said, "This is an opportunity for us to re-examine our policy towards Somaliland and hopefully recognize the sovereignty of an independent Muslim democracy in Africa".

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

Dr sacad after the collapse of the late Udub joined Ucid he was indeed a good diplomat i give him that. When he was the Ambassador the US was even considering shifting towards Somaliland. This was before the Koonfurians got the AU contract of Amisom

 

 

[Somalia]

Looool, Somaliland is a very entertaining subject these days. The confusion, the state of despair Oh Somaliland you ;

 

 

[Somalia]

Oodweyne, this isn't about Puntland, Puntland exists in the condition its founders and people intended it to be, that can't be said of Somaliland.

 

The truth is, habar on habar violence hurts us all.

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

^Nothing has changed for SL well ofcourse the brits are paranoid and scared of Amiir godane but what else is new everything else goes as smoothly as 2012:D and the years before that, If you believe you will be free one day from Ethiopia. Than Certainly Somaliland has a future to or even if Somalia will stand on its own to feet with out Amisom one day. Every one has his problems and shortcomings some more than others but hey thats life, we have to live with it.

[STOIC]

[quote

I suppose we will never know that, will we? Hence, lets chalk it up as just another failure on the part of our current government since they have replaced that diplomatically competent chap by the name of Dr. Saad with some hair-brain accountant by the name of Rashid Garuf, who, by all estimation of those who know him, will probably get lost in the traffic along the way, if he decides to visit the state department's building of foggy bottom in Washington from his home in the suburbs of Virginia.

I once bump into that Garuf dude..Not many people like him in DMV area..For some reason he had an air of arrogance in him.

[Haatu]

Somalia was recognized in 1960.

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

The Somali republic was recognized at that time its statehood, but its governmental recognition was given just recently well atleast the US

[Mintid Farayar]

The famous Somaliland emotions at play here?! Too much hand-wringing as well as 'laundry washed in public' leads to.... Well, you can fill in the rest.

 

 

What has really changed here? The U.S. has conferred diplomatic recognition on Hassan Sheikh's government(for its own 'terror-war'-specific reasons). A significant 'diplomatic' win for his faction. But what does that change on the ground? Thus far, not much. The Presidential Compound is not safe (as attested to by the suicide bombing just a few days ago), let alone any other part of Xamar. Hassan Sheikh's government still remains a government in name only, manned by expatriates with significant portions of their wealth, professional life, and families invested in foreign lands with little grassroots influence on the ground in Mogadishu, let alone other parts of Somalia.

 

Meanwhile, Somaliland, by doing exactly what it's been doing for the last 22 years, can weather the current status quo. There will be the occasional defections by individuals offered new opportunities down South, just like you'll have the reverse with those disappointed in the game down South returning to Hargeisa and requesting Presidential clemency. Yet the independence stance of Somaliland, which is a bottom-driven creed of the population, shall and will not change. The Somaliland system, gentlemen, is too well-entrenched, too deeply invested from the public perspective to be affected by individuals holding a particular position, whether as a Somaliland rep in Washington, or as a Minister in Hargeisa.

 

The good news is that Somaliland, by building the only functioning indigenous state-apparatus in the former Somali Republic, can afford to wait.

[Mintid Farayar]

I hear you loud and clear, saaxiib, but we must be careful in not giving a detailed blueprint of Somaliland's operatives (regardless of their competency or lack thereof) in an open Forum filled with .........

[Taleexi]

... Isaga oo aan marqaansayn la tali.

[Mintid Farayar]

Taleexi;915022 wrote:

... Isaga oo aan marqaansayn la tali.

A cheap taunt, my friend!

 

Bilaash 'Guru' loogu mabixin....

[Homunculus]

"Pirateland" has been running circles around everybody else until recently, they made the frame work for the peace process and were a major force behind the constitution. Their problem is the new president seem to be hell bent on forming a more centralized Somalia, and they chose the wrong time to transition to a new political system ( I don't think that Somalis are sophisticated enough due to clannism for a multiparty democracy). Somaliland is losing ground due to self inflicted wounds, they had many opportunities to take initiative but failed to do so but there is still time to salvage things I think.