Somaliland: Africa's success story
Against all the odds, and with little
international support, Somaliland is well on the road to
stability and democracy
By Peter Tatchell
The Guardian – Comment Is Free – 12 April
2007
http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/peter_tatchell/2007/04/africas_success_story.html
Too much of the news we hear about Africa
is negative: famine, civil war, HIV, corruption and
dictatorship. The latest horror stories from Darfur , Zimbabwe
and the Congo grab the headlines, but quiet success stories like
Somaliland rarely make the news.
I am talking about Somaliland, not Somalia
. The contrast between the two states could not be greater. In
the chaos and brutality of war-torn Somalia , over 1,000 people
have been killed or wounded in the last two weeks. Since
February, nearly 100,000 refugees have fled the fighting in
Mogadishu , bringing the total of displaced persons to over
400,000.
Contrast this chaos and violence in Somalia
with the tranquillity and stability of the north-west breakaway
region of the Republic of Somaliland . Imperfect, but moving in
the right direction, next month the country will celebrate its
sixteenth anniversary of independence. Against all odds, and
with little international aid, the three million people of
Somaliland have, by their own efforts, begun to establish a
secure, functioning democratic state and a reasonable degree of
economic stability and growth. This is a truly remarkable
achievement in a region of Africa that has long been a byword
for chaos, repression and war.
Somaliland, a former British Protectorate,
declared independence from the defunct Republic of Somalia on 18
May 1991. The new state is based on the colonial borders that
were recognised in 1960, when Somaliland briefly gained
independence from Britain and became the first independent
Somali nation to join the United Nations.
Over the last decade and a half, the
predominantly Muslim country has made the transition from an
autocratic clan-run region, notorious for war and human rights
abuses. It has emerged from the ruins of decades of misgoverance
and conflict as a peaceful multi-party democracy. A referendum
in 2001 led to the adoption of a new democratic constitution.
Since then, Somalilanders have held successful elections for
President, the House of Representatives and local government.
While Somalia has not had a free election since the 1960s, each
of these three votes in Somaliland has been largely peaceful and
declared free and fair by international election observers.
In contrast to the clan conflicts that
bedevil Somalia and many other African nations, Somaliland has
found a way to negotiate and resolve them peacefully. It has
bought previously often hostile clans together in a democratic
system that minimises rivalries by incorporating the clan elders
into the advisory upper house.
Somalilanders have achieved an enviable
peace; progressively disarming and demobilising thousands of
gunmen; whereas in Somalia to the south soldiers still run amok,
looting, extorting and terrorising local populations. Many of
Somaliland 's former clan fighters have been successfully
incorporated into the mostly well disciplined national army.
Unlike many other African states, the armed forces stay out of
politics.
Moreover, Somaliland is committed to the
rule of law, which is upheld by a largely independent judiciary.
Discrimination on the grounds of ethnicity, gender or opinion is
prohibited. Human rights abuses, such as torture, are criminal
offences. The right to protest is protected by law.
The country's transition to democracy and
the full observance of human rights still has a way to go. It
has a multi-party system but only three political parties are
allowed under the constitution. Islam is the state religion.
While non-Islamic faiths are allowed, their promotion is
prohibited. Muslims are not permitted to renounce Islam. The
legal system is based on Sharia law. Although rarely enforced
with harshness, this does place inherent restrictions of the
rights of women. The female sex is poorly represented in public
life and state institutions. The constitution does, however,
give women the right to employment training and property
ownership. Although government corruption and inefficiency are
not as bad as in many other African nations, they remain a
problem according to critics of the regime.
Somaliland 's significantly improved record
on human rights suffered a setback earlier this year with the
arrest of four journalists from the independent newspaper,
Haatuf. They were only released at the end of March, after being
detained for 86 days on charges of allegedly spreading false
information and offending the President. This worrying abuse of
press freedom was, however, an exceptional curtailment of what
is nowadays a fairly open and free media.
Despite a few flaws, Somaliland is mostly a
success story – especially compared to the violence and chaos of
Somalia . The Somalilanders have shown, without any pressure
from the west, that a Muslim country can build a peaceful,
democratic state that, for the most part, upholds human rights.
It is a model for Africa and the Middle East.
Yet Somaliland remains unrecognised as a
sovereign nation. While the United Nations and the international
community focus on the civil war in Somalia , Somaliland 's
achievement in building a stable, harmonious democracy is
unrecognised and unrewarded. Betrayed by the Arab League and the
African Union, it stands alone.
Instead of one-sidedly condemning Africa 's
failures, isn't it time the west did more to acknowledge and
support its successes? For a start, Britain , the Commonwealth
and the European Union should recognise Somaliland as an
independent, sovereign state; and lobby the African Union, the
Arab League and the United Nations to do likewise. A modest
increase in British and EU aid and trade would go a long way to
strengthen Somaliland's economic base. Tackling poverty and
unemployment, and improving health, education and housing, will
help underpin and enhance Somaliland's transition to a war-free,
democratic future. Over to you, Margaret Beckett.