Foreign relations of Somaliland

Politics of Somaliland
Constitution Constitution
Government Government President (List) Muse Bihi Abdi Vice President Abdirahman Saylici Council of Ministers
Legislative Parliament House of Elders Chairman: Suleiman Mohamoud Adan House of Representatives Speaker: Yasin Haji Mohamoud
Judiciary Judiciary of Somaliland Ministry of Justice Chief Justice of Somaliland
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Elections Presidential: 2010 2017 2024 Parliamentary: 2005 2021 Municipal: 2002 2012 2021 Referendums: 2001 Political parties Politicians
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Foreign relations of the Republic of Somaliland are the responsibility of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Somaliland.^[1] The region's self-declaration of independence (from Somalia on 18 May 1991, after the start of ongoing Somali Civil War) remains unrecognised by the international community.^[2][3]

Due to its status, the Republic of Somaliland currently has official contacts with only a few nations, such as Ethiopia, which has signed a strategic and infrastructure agreement,^[4][5] and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which has signed a concession agreement to manage the Port of Berbera.^[6] Somaliland has established de facto embassies with nations such as the United States, as well as Taiwan.^[7] International recognition as a sovereign state remains at the forefront of the government's current foreign policy. Other key priorities include encouraging international aid and foreign direct investment.

Most multilateral organisations and countries in the international community support the territorial integrity (i.e. territorial unity) of Somalia and its central government, the Federal Government of Somalia during the ongoing civil war and oppose Somaliland's secession.^[8]

Somaliland has political contacts with neighbouring Ethiopia^[9] and Djibouti,^[10] as well as with Belgium,^[9] Canada,^[11] France,^[12] Ghana,^[9] Kenya,^[11] Norway,^[11] Russia,^[13] South Africa,^[9] South Sudan,^[11] Sweden,^[9] the United Kingdom,^[9][14] the United States,^[15] and Yemen.^[11]

In 2007, a delegation led by President Kahin was present at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Kampala, Uganda. Although Somaliland has applied to join the Commonwealth under observer status, its application is still pending.^[16]

Israel was one of 35 countries that recognised Somaliland's brief independence in 1960.^[17] However, it does not currently hold direct diplomatic ties with Somaliland. In February 2010, Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson Yigal Palmor was quoted in the Haaretz Daily that his government was ready to recognise Somaliland again.^[18][19] However, he stated that the Somaliland government has not contacted the Israeli government to seek ties.

In 1995, former President Egal of Somaliland also wrote a letter to Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin seeking to establish diplomatic ties between the two countries.^[19] In September 2001, it was also reported that Somaliland was looking towards Tel Aviv after Saudi Arabia banned imports of livestock from the country due to Rift Valley fever.^[20] During this time several Israeli businessmen were also in the nation's capital Hargeisa.^[20] However, President Kahin, who succeeded Egal, is reported to have avoided approaching Israel to prevent straining fragile relations with the Arab and Muslim world, which it heavily relies for its livestock trade.^[19] In August 2020, Somaliland expressed its support for the Israel–United Arab Emirates normalization agreement.^[21]

Though not recognising Somaliland and accrediting the building to Somalia, Turkey has an active consulate in Hargeisa.^[22] Since 2013, Turkey has been a mediator between the Somali and Somaliland governments.^[23] In 2019, Somali Minister of Foreign Affairs Ahmed Isse Awad stated that Turkey plays a leading role in the mediation process.^[24]

In 2012, Genel Enerji, an energy company mostly owned by Çukurova Holding, signed a deal with the Somaliland government to search oil reserves within the nation.^[25]

In February 2017, both houses of the parliament of Somaliland accepted the bid from the government of the UAE for the Union Defence Force (UAE) to establish a military base in Berbera along with the redevelopment of the Berbera Airport.^[26] The United Arab Emirates has appointed a new representative to Somaliland which will be the first Arab nation to send a diplomat to Hargeisa.^[27] On 13 March 2021, Abdulla Al-Naqbi was appointed as UAE ambassador to Somaliland.^[28][29]

In 2011, the foreign ministers of South Africa and Tanzania said that they would not recognise Somaliland and preferred that Somalia remained a single country.^[30] In 2012, South Africa and Ethiopia again re-affirmed their continued support for Somalia's government, territorial integrity, and sovereignty at the mini-summit on Somalia in New York on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly.^[8] However, South Africa has formally declared that Somaliland fulfils the Montevideo Convention criteria for statehood in addition to it accepting the Somaliland passport.^[31]

The African Union (AU) is considering Somaliland's application for membership to the bloc and has indicated a willingness to deal with it as an 'outstanding case'.^[31]

Somaliland has had decent economic relations with Ethiopia since the Eritrean–Ethiopian War, as a large part of Ethiopian exports have been handled via the port of Berbera, since Ethiopia can no longer use Eritrean ports of Massaua and Assab. These relationships stand in contrast to the "traditional hostility" towards Ethiopia felt by many Somalis in other areas, and against the background of low support among many northern Somalis for Siad Barre's Ogaden War against Ethiopia and the Somali National Movement which Ethiopia assisted financially.^[32] So far, however, these have not led to official Ethiopian recognition. On 1 January 2024, Ethiopia and Somaliland signed a pact giving Ethiopia access to the Red Sea in return for eventual recognition, making it the first UN member state to do so.^[33][34][35]

In late July 2019, Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi led a delegation to the Republic of Guinea at the invitation of President Alpha Conde.^[36][37]

In December 2020, Kenya and Somaliland agreed that a Kenyan consulate would open in Hargeisa, and to commence direct flights between Hargeisa and Nairobi, both by March 2021.^[38]

In January 2018, Somaliland gained attention from the Philippines, and later East Timor, after legislation outlawing rape is successfully passed.^[39]

In November 2009, a Pakistani delegation composed of Sheikh Mansoor Ahmed, Secretary General of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party, Shafiq Ahmed Qureshi, Peace Representative, former diplomat and Senior Consular Officer, and Abdul Razak Dinnaari, an ambassador, visited Somaliland and proposed the opening of a Somaliland trade office in Pakistan.^[40] In February 2020, Pakistan's Look Africa Policy Initiative conference was held in Nairobi, Kenya.^[41]

In July 2020, Somaliland announced that it would establish a representative office in Taiwan (Republic of China).^[42] The Taiwan Representative Office officially was established in Hargeisa the next month.^[43] In August, Taiwan opened its office in Somaliland, which was reciprocated by Somaliland by opening an office in Taiwan on 9 September 2020.^[44]

Somaliland and the United States do not have official diplomatic relations. However, Somaliland operates a representative liaison office in Washington, D.C., but it does not have formal diplomatic status under the provisions of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.^[45] Both countries do maintain contacts as delegations from both sides have met in the past. The U.S. policy regarding Somaliland is to first allow the African Union to deliberate the question regarding the status of Somaliland as an independent nation.

The United States engages Somaliland on policy matters such as democratization and economic development. In 2007, the United States provided $1,000,000 in aid through the International Republican Institute to support training for parliamentarians and other key programs in preparations for the 2010 Somaliland presidential election. The U.S. expected to provide an additional $1,500,000 in continued support for the democratization process in Somaliland following the elections.^[46]

In 2002, Germany considered recognising Somaliland and establishing a military base in the country. They did not do so and the naval base was instead established in Djibouti.^[47][48][49] German naval ships already operated from Berbera.^[47] In September 2012, at the mini-summit on Somalia on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly, the German government re-affirmed its continued support for Somalia's government, territorial integrity and sovereignty.^[50] In 2019, the German ambassador to Kenya and Somalia visited Hargeisa and met with Muse Bihi Abdi.^[51]

In April 2014, the Sheffield City Council in the United Kingdom voted to recognise the right to self-determination of Somaliland, the second British city council to do so, with Bristol^[when?] being the first. The gesture however was ceremonial and not legally binding.^[52] On 26 March 2015, Cardiff Council followed suit^[53] and later on 18 May 2015, the UK Independence Party announced their support for the recognition of Somaliland.^[54] This was followed by the Conservative UK government's official opening of a British Office in Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland. In 2020, the United Kingdom, Denmark and the Netherlands approved four agreements with the government of Somaliland to improve critical infrastructure to support economic growth.^[55] In July 2019, the Birmingham City Council recognised the right to self-determination of Somaliland, becoming the 5th in Britain. On 4 July 2023, Gavin Williamson proposed a bill to the UK Parliament that would require the United Kingdom to recognise the Republic of Somaliland.^[56]

Dr. Essa Kayd serves as the Foreign Minister of Somaliland.^[57]

Somaliland maintains representative (liaison) offices in several countries, but these missions do not have formal diplomatic status under the provisions of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

Such offices exist in the following cities:

• Addis Ababa^[58]
• Djibouti City^[59][60]
• Dubai, UAE
• Juba, South Sudan^[61][62]
• London^[63] (details)
• Nairobi^[58]
• Oslo
• Paris^[64]
• Pretoria^[65]
• Riyadh^[66]
• Stockholm^[67]
• Taipei^[42]
• Turin^[58]
• Washington D.C.^[58]

The following foreign governments have diplomatic offices in Hargeisa:

•  Ethiopia – Consulate; headed by a diplomat with the rank of ambassador.^[68][69][70]
•  Turkey – Consulate; headed by a diplomat with the rank of consul general
•  Djibouti – Consulate; headed by a diplomat with the rank of consul general
•  Kenya – Liaison office^{[71][72][73][74]}
•  UK – Liaison office
•  Denmark – Programme office
•  Taiwan – Representative office
•  UAE – Representative Office^[75][76]

As of February 2010, the Yemeni government is reportedly planning to open a diplomatic office in Hargeisa.^[77][78]

Regular Passport

Service Passport

Diplomatic Passport

Somaliland issues its own passports, recognised by certain nations. If and when Somaliland achieves its goal of recognition, a number of countries have stated that they will allow Somalilanders to travel to their countries, subject to visa regulations.^{[citation needed]}

Somaliland is a member of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO).^[19]

• List of diplomatic missions of Somaliland
• List of diplomatic missions in Somaliland
• Foreign relations of Somalia