Should the U.S. Recognize Somaliland?

Northwest (British) Somalia was a recognized independent country for 4 days in 1960 before it unified with Italian Somalia. It redeclared its independence in '91, endured a civil war, and has now rebuilt itself as a model of African democracy with almost no outside help. The UN keeps many of its Somalia offices in the capital Hargeisa (called one of the safest capitals in the world.)

Should the US recognize Somaliland? Doing so would upset the UN, Italy, and the AU. However, it doesn't contradict the concept of keeping colonial borders, which is one of the main points of the AU. Several countries, among them Canada and a couple other Western European countries have warmed to Somaliland. So has Ethiopia.

Recognizing Somaliland would allow us to make use of the port city of Berbera, in the Gulf of Aden, one of the most strategic shipping corridors in the world. Befriending and empowering the Somaliland government would give us influence in this strategic region. Also, there is talk of oil and coal reserves in Somaliland, as well as some other natural resources.

From a human rights point of view, recognizing Somaliland and encouraging the world to do the same would allow aid money to flow into Somaliland, assisting the economic boom they engineered themselves. It would allow us to help those refugees returning to Somaliland and help the nomads suffering from a long drought in the Toghdeer and Sool regions.

For more information on Somaliland, check out the government website <http://somalilandgov.com>.

They are stable, have an elected government, seem to be getting things back together. So why not? They picked their own borders out of the chaos that became Somalia so that would void the AUs problem.