By: Yumoha Pasha
Somaliland sun – Many in Africa will have South Sudan and Eritrea in mind as they face Somaliland’s continued call for international recognition as an independent state.
According to Prof Peter Robert Woodward Both the Ethiopian and Sudanese examples suggest that separation isn’t always the straightforward option for separation of South Sudan from Sudan and Eritrea from Ethiopia has led to violent border disputes, economic complications, and poor relations with the wider international community.
Despite, correction by Amb Awale about having misconstrued Somaliland which withdrew from a voluntary Union with Italian Somalia to former the now defunct Republic of Somalia in an earlier analysis, with the secession of Eritrea and South Sudan, in a piece which he urged Somaliland to tread cautiously as per its secession, Prof Woodward has once again refused to acknowledge the distinct nationhood history of Somaliland, a former British protectorate that emanates as back as 1887.
Having joined the so called International community band wagon that continues to considered Somaliland an autonomous region of Somalia a quarter century after withdrawal from a turned fateful 1960 Union with Somalia, the good Prof Woodward who is supposedly an acclaimed Africa analyst thence consulted by various governments and bodies has gone blind on the history of the country Somaliland, as a British protectorate, it’s 1960 independence from Britain and subsequent voluntary Union with its southern Neighbour, Somalia
In his latest arguments as per the negative implications as per the recognition of Somaliland, in a piece titled “ Somaliland wants to secede — will it be Africa’s 55th country?
the prof states “ Both the Ethiopian and Sudanese examples suggest that separation isn’t always the straightforward option because it has led to violent border disputes, economic complications, and poor relations with the wider international community” so “There is also a case to be made that granting secession has merely served to fuel the claims of other separatist movements. Somaliland’s calls to be recognised as independent, rather than being included in the efforts to rebuild Somalia, is an example.
Apart from the security and economic implications of recognizing Somaliland he equates to subsequent events in Eritrea and South Sudan terming the 1991 declaration of withdrawal from Somaliland as secession thus equating it to Eritrea and South Sudan whose independence of 2011 was attended by a Somaliland delegation wearing t-shirts saying “Somaliland Next” 
Be it so, and despite continued refusal by the international community more so it’s former colonial honcho, United Kingdom hamstrung by unnecessary tenets that the recognition of Somaliland is a Somalia issue and with the rebuilding in the rest of Somalia continues with the express wish that Somaliland is part of the process, the people of Somaliland are determined to preserve under whatever circumstances for their sovereignty is neither negotiable nor revocable While making success of their independence
Related read
Somaliland: “Our Nationhood is not Secession” Amb Awale
Somaliland wants to secede – here’s why caution is necessary
