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This draft chapter of my PhD "Statebuilding in Somalia" examines the foundation and subsequent evolution of the state in Somaliland, from 1991 to today.
A narrow and intrusive view of what a state can and should be, coupled with a lack of knowledge and expertise, lead to significant deficiencies in the practice of statebuilding. By examining assumptions underlying much of the literature on weak, fragile and failed states, the myth of the ‘ideal’ state is highlighted; through this it is possible to understand, and also critique, the expectations for state formation or state-building and what a state ‘should be.’ An idea case study for this, and thus the focus of this thesis, is Somaliland. These thesis examines the creation of a 'Somaliland state'; one that reflects the ideal but also challenges it in the inclusion of the clan in the central government. This thesis also examines tensions between the ‘old’ Somali style of governance and the ‘new’ democratic government in the territory; tensions which are becoming more apparent and problematic. This thesis relates this case study to larger questions of state-building and state formation; namely the impact and consequences of international norms of statehood on stability within new or democratising states. In addition to highlighting and examining the successes of and obstacles to Somaliland’s state formation project, this thesis comments on deficiencies in international intervention in developing, forming or re-building states as well as in the normative frameworks or blueprints concerning how to be a state.
2014 •
Much analysis of state building focusses on dissecting specific projects and attempting to identify what has gone ‘wrong’ in states such as Afghanistan and Iraq. What draws less attention is what has gone ‘right’ in non-interventionist statebuilding projects within 'unrecognised’ states. By examining this model in more depth a more successful model of statebuilding emerges in which the end goal of modern democracy and good governance are more likely to be realized. Indeed 'states-within-states’ such as Somaliland where external intervention in the statebuilding process is largely absent can provide vital new lessons. Somaliland is a functioning democratic political entity in northwestern Somalia which declared its independence from the troubled south in 1991 and then embarked on an ambitious project to create a democratic government and successful state in the post-conflict environment. The leaders and the people of Somaliland have since succeeded not only in maintaining peace and stability, but also in building the institutions of government and the foundations for democracy that have led to a succession of elections, peaceful transfers of power and a consolidation of democratization. The resulting state of Somaliland is widely hailed as a beacon of success within a politically turbulent region and provides a useful framework for successful statebuilding projects throughout the world.
2009 •
2015 •
Despite its strong legal and historical claims to sovereignty, the Republic of Somaliland remains entirely unrecognized by the international community more than 20 years after it proclaimed independence from Somalia in 1991. Paradoxically, Somaliland’s lack of external legitimacy has, in some ways, facilitated the growth and development of its internal legitimacy. In contrast, Somalia enjoys widespread external recognition from the international community but has very little domestic legitimacy and largely fails to govern the territory it claims effectively. Somaliland’s high degree of domestic legitimacy and its strong desire for external recognition increasingly come into conflict with one another both in the eastern parts of Somaliland and in the continued democratic development of its hybrid domestic political institutions. The safest prediction for Somaliland is continued de facto statehood where its strong internal legitimacy enables it to survive in a hostile external environment but fails to translate into widespread sovereign recognition of its significant domestic accomplishments. Ultimately, though, Somaliland’s ability to deliver the “goods” on economic development and poverty reduction for its citizens will be significantly hampered without external recognition of its domestic achievements.
2022 •
This chapter outlines the case of Somaliland as a successful de facto state that has a very complicated relationship with it’s (ex-)parent-state, Somalia. It first, provides the historical background for Somaliland’s emergence in the late 1980s and early 1990s, followed by an outline of local efforts to create peace and establish a hybrid political order throughout the first decade of its existence. Finally, the chapter focusses on political reforms that have taken place from the early 2000s onward. It argues that local and transnational elites but also ordinary Somalilanders use their experiences with peacebuilding and democratization to strengthen Somaliland’s claim to recognition, but so far in vain. Somaliland remains at the margins of international politics, despite it’s remarkable political and other achievements.
2006 •
After a joint effort by armed militia from the countryside supplemented by popular uprising in and around the Somali capital, Mogadishu, Somalia's once powerful military regime collapsed in 1991. The opposition against the regime has been mounting for decades in the country's interior. Nonetheless, the various factions that ousted the regime failed to overcome their internal disagreements on sharing power and they embarked on the most costly tragic civil war Somalia ever experienced. The concept of state and its relationship to a society is relevant for many developing countries, including Somalia. The dominant understanding for statehood today is the western state form. It is described as a state with various institutions that are engaged in collective authority and decision making. The presumption is a central authority that monopolises power. In order for the state to be viable, legitimacy should be sought from the governed. The more legitimacy a state can garner from the...
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