The political development of Somaliland and its conflict with Puntland
(M e d e s h i)
The political development of Somaliland and its conflict with Puntland
Berouk Mesfin
ISS Paper 200, September 2009
INTRODUCTION
The Horn of Africa is the most militarised and conflict-ridden region on the African continent, with armed conflicts raging frequently within and between states. In 1991, Somaliland emerged as an autonomous entity in this turbulent region after unilaterally declaring its independence from the rest of Somalia. Over the past eighteen years Somaliland has managed to display an enviable measure of peace and stability. Through successive clan conferences, Somaliland established relatively viable institutions which paved the path for reconstruction of an entity mainly employing local resources. Somaliland has thus been depicted as 'an oasis of stability in an otherwise chaotic Somali regional environment'.The accomplishments of Somaliland, however, have been overshadowed by the lack of international recognition of its statehood and also its territorial dispute with neighbouring Puntland. The overall objective of this paper is to provide a detailed account and analysis of the political development of Somaliland and its conflict with Puntland.
Background
The political development of Somaliland and its conflict with Puntland
Berouk Mesfin
ISS Paper 200, September 2009
INTRODUCTION
The Horn of Africa is the most militarised and conflict-ridden region on the African continent, with armed conflicts raging frequently within and between states. In 1991, Somaliland emerged as an autonomous entity in this turbulent region after unilaterally declaring its independence from the rest of Somalia. Over the past eighteen years Somaliland has managed to display an enviable measure of peace and stability. Through successive clan conferences, Somaliland established relatively viable institutions which paved the path for reconstruction of an entity mainly employing local resources. Somaliland has thus been depicted as 'an oasis of stability in an otherwise chaotic Somali regional environment'.The accomplishments of Somaliland, however, have been overshadowed by the lack of international recognition of its statehood and also its territorial dispute with neighbouring Puntland. The overall objective of this paper is to provide a detailed account and analysis of the political development of Somaliland and its conflict with Puntland.
Background
Somaliland came to the fore of the international political system immediately after it declared its independence from the rest of Somalia on 18 May 1991. The Grand Conference of the Northern People was held in Burao and was composed of the leaders of the Somali National Movement (SNM) and representatives of all clans inhabiting north-western Somalia. The newly established entity assumed the borders of the former British colony which adjoins Ethiopia to the south and west, Djibouti to the north-west, the Gulf of Aden to the north, and Puntland to the east. The demarcation of these borders was the product of the Anglo-Ethiopian treaty of 1897.
Somaliland covers a land area of 137 600 square kilometres and has a coastline of 850 kilometres. It had a total population of about three million people in 1997. Pastoralists make up some 55 per cent of the population, whereas the rest is composed of urban and rural dwellers. Territorially Somaliland is divided into six regions, namely Northwest, Awdal, Sahil, Togdheer, Sanaag and Sool, which are subdivided into 30 districts. The largest city and capital of Somaliland is Hargeisa to which Britain relocated its colonial administration in 1941, while Boroma, Berbera, Burao, Erigavo and Las-Canood are Somaliland's major cities. Somaliland's principal port is the strategic port of Berbera.
There are three major clan families, namely the Isaaq, the Darod/Harti (including the Warsangeli and Dhulbahante) and the Dir (including the Iise and Gadabursi), representing 66 per cent, 19 per cent and 15 per cent respectively of the total population. Pertaining to regional distribution, the west is inhabited by the Iise and Gadabursi clans. The Isaaq live predominantly in the central part of the Somaliland, while the eastern parts are occupied principally by the Warsangeli and Dhulbahante clans.
The people of Somaliland share a common language, culture and religion among themselves as well as with the rest of Somalia. Economically speaking, they pursue a traditional livelihood system based on nomadic pastoralism. Livestock production makes up the backbone of Somaliland's economy, accounting for about 65 per cent of its economy. Somaliland's economy is also heavily dependent on remittances from the diaspora. Estimated to reach US$500 million per year, remittances constitute the largest single source of hard currency entering Somaliland. Remittances actually bring more currency to Somaliland than livestock export and international assistance combined.
The 2001 constitution established a hybrid system of government. Constitutionally, Somaliland has three branches of government. A president, elected for five years, heads and nominates a cabinet of ministers theoretically subject to parliamentary approval. The legislature is composed of two chambers, the unelected upper House of Elders (the Guurti) nominated by the clans during various peacebuilding conferences and the lower House of Representatives, which is directly elected for six years but clearly lacks an understanding of its role and functional capacity. The 82-member House of Representatives is supposed to be the main legislative chamber. It approves all legislation as well as the annual budget and acts as a check on the power of the executive, which is the strongest branch.The ostensibly independent judiciary is complemented by a moderately vibrant print media.
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