In 1960, Somaliland was recognised by over 35 countries, including the US, UK, and all five permanent members of the UN Security Council. Just five days after independence, it joined Somalia in pursuit of Somali unity — a vision that later collapsed under dictatorship, civil war, and marginalisation. In 1991, Somaliland restored its sovereignty, choosing peace and democracy while Somalia fell into chaos.
For much of this period, however, the international community chose not to engage directly with Somaliland, deferring instead to Mogadishu. This policy of silence left Somaliland isolated, despite its democratic credentials and its geostrategic position on the Gulf of Aden.
In today’s world, legal arguments alone are not enough. If they were, Somaliland would not still be waiting for the world to reinstate its sovereignty. President Ahmed Silanyo — may Allah have mercy on him — recognised that Somaliland needed to create interest and build partnerships with countries and institutions that shared common interests.
That shift began in 2015, when the United Arab Emirates signed a landmark deal with Somaliland to modernise Berbera Port, rehabilitate Berbera Airport, and construct the Berbera Corridor. For the first time, an Arab state entered into a major investment agreement directly with Somaliland, bypassing Mogadishu.
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Mogadishu reacted with hostility. The Somali parliament passed a resolution banning the investment and attempted to block the agreement on political grounds. The Mogadishu government even escalated the matter to the United Nations Security Council, trying to portray the deal as a violation of Somalia’s sovereignty. These efforts failed. The UAE and Somaliland pressed forward, and the DP World investment became a reality.
It was a turning point: the UAE understood that stability, geography, and reliability mattered more than political hesitation or Mogadishu’s obstruction.
A decade later, the UAE is treating Somaliland separately from Somalia, both politically and economically. Somaliland is absent from the UAE’s visa ban list, and the UAE’s official systems list Somaliland separately from Somalia. Quietly but firmly, Somaliland is being acknowledged for what it is — a functioning state with its own institutions, economy, and borders.
The momentum is no longer confined to the Gulf. The United States is now following the same path. Congress has passed legislation encouraging American companies to invest in Somaliland and pressing for separate travel advisories that reflect the reality on the ground: Somaliland is stable, while Somalia remains fragile. The UK has continued to support Somaliland’s development directly, and Taiwan has established a representative office in Hargeisa, showing the broadening international engagement.
This trajectory proves a larger truth: economic diplomacy has already shifted Somaliland from isolation to engagement. By forging partnerships that deliver stability, trade, and security, Somaliland has turned investors and governments into advocates. From DP World in 2015 to the U.S. Congress in 2025, Somaliland is no longer waiting on recognition — it is already being treated as a partner of choice.
