THBT African countries should recognise the sovereignty of

Somaliland

History/GEOGRAPHY:
The horn of africa is alone one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, there
lies Somaliland.

➔ In the past, Somalia was divided in British somalia and Italian Somalia; That
correspond Somalilandia y Somalia. The British installed an indirect rule that
incorporated local customary law, which was in the hands of elders, so they
left the old clan structures in place.The Italians, especially during fascism,
however, introduced a more direct colonial administration. This undermined
Somali traditions and weakened local elders.
➔ On June 26, 1960, an agreement was reached for the independence of
Somaliland (British Somalia); more than 30 countries recognized this new
state, and the politics of the country were determined by clan allegiances
resulting in the Somali National League dominating the new legislature, and
the league wanted to take the new nation into union with its brother (THE
ITALIAN SOMALIA). Somaliland voted a law to be in union with somalia, and
also was declared independent.
➔ So then the law went into effect, agreeing in merge under a government
in common, but Somaliland being autonomous; The Somali Republic
➔ At first it was good, but there were some issues(Jamming two culturally
different regions its TERRIBLE):The politics was dominated by the
deeply entrenched clan system, and as long as everyone got along and
those in power didn’t “play favorites” with a clan it would be alright,but it
didnt end up like that, and as a result it became very partisan; Northern
somalia had a smaller population than southern somalia, BY FAR, so in
the 1960s elections to pass the constitution that was VERY unfair to
northern somalia (british somaliland) they were 80 000 voters in
somaliland compared to the 600 000 voters of somalia, this meant that
despite opposition for the 1961 constitution, it was passed even when In
the majority of the districts in Somaliland the referendum on the constitution
held on 20 June 1961 was largely boycotted and, in sharp contrast to the
Somalia regions, in the vast majority of Somaliland regions, the constitution
was rejected.(they are sooo different culturally its not like its the same
kind of people opposing) and it's a trend that continued : The early years
of the union saw the steady political and economic isolation of former
Somaliland and its main towns, with political and military positions being
awarded disproportionately to “southern” Somalis.

➔ On 1969 the president was shot dead and was followed by a military
coup that as a result renamed the country SOMALI DEMOCRATIC
REPUBLIC. The leader in charge started and lost a war to ethiopia
ending in ⅓ of somali soldiers dying, he agressively stamped out all
forms of opposition and showed little regard about the northern culture,
fell out with the soviets (basically their only allies) and triggered the still
ongoing Somali civil war, because of the humiliation of the defeat in the
war, opposition somali groups and many separatists in the north would
 launch uprisings against the gov, and the central gov in Mogadishu
responded with brutal force bombing so much the capital city of
somaliland that the entire city lay in ruins by the end of the campaign.
The destruction of Hargeisa was so total that it earned the
nickname "the Dresden of Africa." Bombiing missions and ground
troops attacks killed more than 40,000 people. Burao, the third
largest city in Somalia at the time and the second principal city in
northern Somalia, was razed. The relentless violence against
Isaaq civilians in 1988 resulted in the world's largest refugee
crisis.
➔ But in 1991 he was overthrown by anti-government rebels including the
SOMALI NATIONAL MOVEMENT that was a northern paramilitary group
and decided to declare Somaliland’s independence. May 18th, 1991, the
Republic of Somaliland declared independence. This separation from
Somalia, which had not been legally prepared and was not politically
supported by any other state, certainly was a bold move back then
➔ After this they gained independence, but for a number of reasons (wars
mostly) they started to form resistant-groups, guerrilla movements, the
various clans and militias were not just fighting the regime, they were
fighting one another, locking the country in an incredibly messy series of
civil wars, The most important guerrilla group in the area, the Somali
National Movement (SNM) supported by members of the Isaaq
clan-family, controlled only about 60 percent of the country. The west and
east of the secessionist republic were under the control of local militias
from different clans. A transitional government led by the SNM was
established in the new capital, Hargeysa. But inability, the massive
destruction of infrastructure, and lack of resources, as well as the fact
that many people were armed — the arsenals of the fleeing military had
been plundered — made effective governance impossible. In addition,
SNM commanders from various Isaaq clans competed for the region's
few valuable resources; fighting broke out among them in 1992.
➔ that is the beginning of somalia´s modern dysfunction, but not in
somaliland because while there was chaos in somalia, the elders in
somaliland clans called a peace deal (ppl had still a lingering respect for
their elders/they were used to the system of tribal politics so when this
deal was made everyone listened and put down their guns) that was
only possible thanks to the regions unique history (the british were
 unwilling to get properly involved so they left the old clan structures in
place as said before).
➔ In 1993 the elders looked at the MESS of the nation Somalia was and
called another conference where they drew up a national charter for a
sustainable political system (the system they have today)The national
charter served as the provisional constitution of Somaliland. This was the
basis for the hybrid political order, which integrated traditional Somali and
Western elements of politics whilst guaranteeing the political stability of
Somaliland for the years to come.
➔ the establishment of a political force required all militia in the country to
voluntarily disarm, and they kind of did. The end of armed groups meant
the end of clan conflicts and a chance to breath, to start rebuilding the
cities that were flattened during the war, construction work began, It was
invested in shops, hotels, and schools, while some international aid
organizations reluctantly started their first small programs in the country,
and it took basically another decade.
➔ The international community, on the other hand, was focused entirely on
the civil war in southern Somalia. Somaliland was ignored by the United
Nations.
➔ In 2001 they held a referendum on independence that was supported by
97% of Somaliland’s citizens. At the heart of the new constitution were
the reaffirmation of independence and the introduction of a multi-party
system. A very large majority agreed. Democratization began with the
establishment of political parties and the holding of the first elections in
2002. The unexpected death of President Egal in May of the same year
did not stop the momentum. Since then, several presidential and
parliamentary elections have taken place in Somaliland, leading to
peaceful transfers of power.
➔ From now on, somaliland will fight a few battles between them and
separatist in the east in the region of Puntland wich wishes to rejoin
Somalia.Today, the overwhelming majority of people in the center and
the west of Somaliland are in favor of independence. Here, the country
has developed impressively regarding infrastructure, private businesses
and in the educational sector over the last 15 years. Consequently,
international aid organizations and state agencies for development
cooperation increasingly engaged – short of international recognition.
Hargeysa developed into a real capital, at eye-level with major east
African cities. The eastern parts of the country, however, are not yet at
peace; Somaliland only exercises limited control there and occasionally,
 its troops meet with armed resistance. This is also where part of the
former colonial border runs. From an international legal perspective, it
would be important that Hargeysa controls this border effectively.
However, local militias in cooperation with Puntland are preventing this.
➔ Their goal is to strengthen Somali unity, for example 2023 began with a
bloody crackdown between these two, when around 21 protesters were
killed and hundreds wounded in the latest by the armed forces of
Somaliland cracking down on protests by Puntlanders.For some time
now, both States have been in a lawsuit over the territorial dispute of a
border area and the conflict arose in one of the cities occupied by
Somaliland almost on the border with the neighboring State, in which its
population protested the treatment provided, repression through, at least
twenty people died. In general lines, the population aspires more to
belong to Puntland than to its western neighbour. It was also learned that
the demonstration had as its axis the protest against the president of the
country not recognized by the international community
➔ Puntland is a neighboring region of Somalia that has border disputes with
Somaliland and controls these eastern bits of it.In a certain way, both
territories share certain attributes, they separated themselves by different
means from the clan war that began to devastate the country of the Horn
of Africa, during the 90s. Unlike Somaliland, Puntland is not so peaceful,
piracy does its thing, although it has been largely contained. Another
difference with the previous one is that this territory wants to be part of
Somalia, although with an autonomous status. Finally, both entities serve
as a refuge for Somali populations fleeing the conflict, although Puntland
is the scene, albeit to a lesser extent, of attacks and incursions by the
terrorist group Al-Shabaab, which operates mainly in Somali territory and
is fought by the federal government with help from international missions.
➔ Hargeisa also warned the Garowe government in advance not to
interfere in their affairs. There are already serious problems, since 1991,
in the entire country of the Horn of Africa enough to unleash a new civil
war in the north of it between two political entities which Mogadishu has
virtually no control over and could do little or nothing about another
conflict in a highly embarrassing area.

➔ An escalation would likely herald a protracted conflict with

devastating consequences for northern Somalia and the potential to
fuel further instability across the country..A confrontation between
 them would have disastrous consequences for much of northern
Somalia but also risks contributing to instability across the country.
It also could play into the hands of the Al-Shabaab insurgency or
even the Islamic State (ISIS) branch in Puntland.
➔ At a regional level, Somaliland and Puntland clash over the
legitimacy of their respective formations. Somaliland claims
territorial control that adheres to its colonial boundaries,
which would include Sool and Sanaag (and the contested
Cayn area). Puntland however offers a political
administration for the Darod/Harti clan, which would include
the Dhulbahante and Warsengeli, both present in Sool and
Sanaag (and Cayn). In this sense, Somaliland’s pursuit of
independence was considered a red line that many didn’t
want to cross. Yet neither have they always wanted to
associate with Puntland, and both clans have experimented
with setting up their own political administrations in the past.
This shows a level of discontent with all current options.
➔ At a national level, Somaliland’s unresolved status
regarding its independence claims regarding Somalia
remains an issue. Without progress regarding this dynamic,
Somaliland’s border with Puntland will always be
questioned.

INFO/COMPARISON
SOMALILAND SOMALIA

➔ Somaliland is one of the most

➔ In Somalia, its capital, Mogadishu,
stable de facto states in the
there is authority over that city but not
world: it has a clearly much else, and in its north we have
demarcated territory (at least Somaliland.
➔ Somalia is divided into 6-7 major clans
on paper), a permanent (there are many more) and they don't
population, and a legitimate like eachother very much
➔ Somalia is a failed state, there are
government many terrorist groups and armed
➔ they’ve held 5 peaceful pirates, it cannot provide justice,
elections with 3 different security or border control; it is local
clans that decide what can or cannot
presidents be done
➔ was classified as the only free
country in east africa
➔ within Somaliland there is a
very low violence, specially
compared to Somalia.
➔ Nonetheless, Somaliland is still
not internationally recognized.
➔ has constitution, currency,
there is alternation in the
government, it has a president
in the executive system and a
bicameral system in the
legislative system made up of a
house of representatives and a
house of elders that gives
stability to the government,
➔ has only one clan that is The
Isaaq Family that gave stability
to that area
➔ one of the most democratic
regimes in the region. In 2001
its constitution was approved
and it has a justice system
➔ In somaliland There is reduced
freedom of the press, the clan
has effectivel excluded
non-assad from political life
 (*but has mantained peace,
Somaliland's success story
rests heavily on the will of the
members of the Isaaq
clan-family to break away from
the rest of Somalia. However,
the territory of the secessionist
republic is also inhabited by
members of other clans who
have different political
orientations.As a result,
Somaliland has largely become
a “mono-clan state” today: all
important offices in the country
are held by members of the
most populous Isaaq
clan-family. The fact that is is
largely populated by only one
clan has helped it avoid tribal
conflicts, unlike some other
countries in the region..)
➔ Somaliland has largely become
a “mono-clan state” today
➔ It is the 11th poorest country
(part of this is because they do
not recognize it as a country)
➔ Land values ​of Somaliland
have increased x10
➔ it issues its own money and
passport and both have zero
value outside the country's
limits, it has a military,
international airport and flag, a
consulate in washington dc and
license plates.

y las ultimas elecciones de somalia fueron alrededor de cuando Elvis estaba

vivo y under 200 pounds
PROPOSITION:
Framing:
What has to be proven to win this debate?
The side of the house that proves why Somaliland sovereignty should/shouldn’t be
recognized by African countries better. The side of the house that brings more benefits to
Somaliland/the region and has less prejudices.

Characterization:
01. Brief characterization of Somalia’s and Somaliland’s history and state
● Somaliland is an autonomous region in northern Somalia, and no foreign power
recognizes Somaliland's sovereignty.
● Somalia It has well defined borders with Somalia, 5.6 million
people population, they have national anthem, some degree of
political contact w SWEDEN, UK, TAIWAN, DJIBOUTI, ETHIOPIA
AND SOUTH AFRICA and liberland.
● Somalia is a failed state, there are many terrorist groups and armed pirates, it
cannot provide justice, security or border control; it is local clans that decide what
can or cannot be done.
● In Somalia, its capital, Mogadishu, there is authority over that city but not much
else, and in its north we have Somaliland.
● Somalia is divided into 6-7 major clans (there are many more) and they don't like
eachother very much

02. When is a country called considered a country

The world generally agrees on 4 basic qualities to define a country:
➔ Independent government
➔ proven capacity to enter in relations with other states
➔ clearly defined territory
➔ permanent population
Somaliland has great fulfillment of these.

03. Why the african countries

The path for every african country to be called a country its mediante
The African Union, and the african union will only do this with consent of
Somalia proper, and somalia has barely a functioning government.
 International organizations in the area such as The African Union and
The Arab League are reluctant to give Somaliland the sovereignty.
The African Union took up the issue in 2005 by sending a fact-finding mission to
Somaliland. The official summary of its findings is very favorable towards Somaliland’s claims,
asserting, “Somaliland’s search for recognition [is] historically unique and self-justified in African
political history,” and it urges the AU to take up the issue with the governments in Mogadishu and
Hargeisa without delay. The African Union did not act on that report and has played little role
since then. Now, 16 years later, it is the time for the African Union to act.

Arg #1: Why does Somaliland deserves to be a country

● Principled arg:
● Somaliland is one of the most stable de facto states in the world:
they’ve held 5 peaceful elections with 3 different presidents, and
was classified as the only free country in east africa. Within
Somaliland there is a very low violence, specially compared to
Somalia.
● It has constitution, currency, there is alternation in the government,
it has a president in the executive system and a bicameral system
in the legislative system made up of a house of representatives
and a house of elders that gives stability to the government, it
issues its own money and passport (and both have zero value
outside the country's limits), it has a military, international airport
and flag, a consulate in washington dc and license plates.
1- PROBLEM: Somaliland as stated before has everything to become a country, but it isn’t called
a country!Thereis a special interest in Somaliland not becoming a country, and
its because they think it will destroy african borders, but for this we have to
characterize that:
01. The distribution of Africa is unfair, it does not respect the history
of the peoples and it gave rise to fixed borders that had little to do
with local reality, and the limits were strengthened. The thing is,
these borders are very sensitive and fragile, and once you change
one of them you are on a slippery slope to change ALL of them so
 most countries arent keen to pull that first block.But Somaliland’s
has a very special case, because it was independent once, and
called a country, and more than 30 countries recognized this new
state. This is important because then, it means that Somaliland’s
isn’t breaking any border or making a new one, is going back to
how colonial borders were.
EXAMPLE: Somaliland is a special case and this was made clear
when in 2005 the african union sent a fact-finding mission to
somaliland, in its final report the mission recommended
recognition, highlighting steps that the country had taken towards
becoming a modern state, it noted that somaliland's situation was
“UNIQUE AND SELF JUSTIFIED IN AFRICAN POLITICAL
HISTORY” therefore, the case should not be linked to the notion of
opening a Pandora’s box” this was highly significant giving hope.
The view that emerged that if the African union was willing to
accept Somaliland’s independence, then others would follow suit,
and this mission tried to appeal that said view was erroneous, and
given the history of itself, it wouldn’t lead to any problem. Despite
this mission, the countries in Africa were unable to reach a
consensus on the issue. As a result, Somaliland remained
unrecognized, it wasn’t a yes or a no, but just a grey state. But,
EVEN IF Somaliland’s wasn’t divided in the past, As Somalilanders
often point out, theirs wouldn’t be the first country to back out of a
postcolonial merger recently, and it didn’t broke off the entire African
continent, and due to proof of the good management (being
categorized as the most democratic and free in its region) while being
just a state, by being sovereign you would give them the tools to do
better, not to be worse, as they have continuingly have been proving.
EXAMPLE: similar things happened with senegal and gambia who
were briefly united as senegambia for 7 years until 1989, and egypt
and syria who became the united arab republic for 3 years, so
there is a precedent for this type of recession.
So Somaliland SHOULD be called a country and they should give them these
borders
because there is a principled justification explained before as why
they are unfair and why giving them their borders wouldn’t cause
much of an impact
Arg #2: economic benefits

1- PROBLEM: but not everything it's pink, because Somaliland rates fourth in the world’s poorest
countries, and it has LOTS of issues to overcome. but this issues are because of their lack of
sovereignty, partly.

2- ROOT OF THE PROBLEM: IT ISNT RECOGNIZED AS A COUNTRY SO they CANT

RECEIVE FUNDING:
The only form of receiving AIDS or funds Somaliland has is by Remittances
(form of payment or collection that consists of issuing an amount
corresponding to an invoice for a sale or a service provided.) from
Somalilanders living abroad have become essential for the country since it is
not internationally recognized does not have access to funds from multilateral
organizations that are destined for the Somali government, because every time
Somaliland asks for aid the aid gets sent to mogadishu, not to HARGETA .As a
result of being unrecognized, Somaliland’s government has negligible
access to external capital, whether through official development
assistance, loans from international lending bodies like the IMF, or foreign
investment. Private investors cannot access commercial insurance or
seek recourse through international commercial law. This serves as a
considerable – though not entirely prohibitive – disincentive for
non-Somalilanders to invest in the country, and further limits the
Government’s ability to generate wealth through normal external
channels.
So, logically, *SOVEREIGNTY IS NEEDED TO HELP THE
REGION’S/COUNTRY DEVELOPMENT.

And the situation could get worse and there’s nothing that could help, except
making them sovereign:With remittances likely to dry up in the coming years,
and livestock an unreliable resource, the government is looking for other sources
of investment, but Somaliland is a place with an image problem. “The name
always scares people,anything that starts with ‘Somali’, no matter how it ends, is a
red flag for a lot of people. But companies who are there end up realizing
comparatively it’s a very benign, very safe environment.
3. HOW WE RESOLVE THE PROBLEM AND HOW WE DO IT BETTER:
● Only By being sovereign somaliland can achieve all of this because are exclusive
benefits of being a COUNTRY. if Somaliland achieved independence, it would
then be able to receive AIDS and even assist Somalia with its security challenges
in a way that it cannot or will not at present.
4. WHAT ARE INCENTIVES OF SOMALILAND BEING RECOGNIZED
There are multiple countries that are making plans with Somaliland that could help both of them,
but for them to be beneficial for BOTH sides and/OR COMPLETED, it needs to be sovereign.
For example:
➔ There are potential in untapped oil and gas reserves, including hydrocarbon
deposits, oil and gas, as well as coal, which can be easily explored and exploited
for Somaliland’s benefit, so they would have a greater capacity to do commerce,
exchanges, IR, causing direct benefit to the population.
➔ recognizing Somaliland’s independence would provide the U.S. military a
much-needed alternative to Djibouti and diminish the Chinese threat to U.S.
facilities, personnel, and operations there. Such a move would also provide the
United States and others with a stable, functioning, peaceful partner in a war-torn
region and strengthen Somaliland’s democratic governance and economy.
ex: Somaliland is holding talks with Taiwan, another state that among its
priorities has the same as Somaliland, there is currently a handful of
hardier energy firms off the coast, and is in an agreement with the UAE for
its development to build a port and military base in Berbera, which could
conceivably be an alternative means of bringing goods by sea into
landlocked Ethiopia. But it’s hard to imagine that plan taking off without a
serious improvement in roads and infrastructure, and that probably
requires international investment, that again, for that to happen,
SOVEREIGNTY IS NEEDED.

Arg #3: how do we resolve humanitarian conflicts

REPRESENTATION OF THE POPULATION

jamming 2 completely culturally disconnected regions together its
terrible:
In Somalia they share a culture, language and religion but are divided into
many segments or clans. This lineage system allows Somalis to trace their
descent to common ancestors. The clan background of Somalia and
Somaliland are VERY different, : in colonial times each region was
 colonized by a different country, and while the british in Somaliland had a
lighter regime, installing an indirect rule that incorporated local customary
law, which was in the hands of elders, leaving the old clan structures in
place; the Italians, especially during fascism, however, introduced a more
direct colonial administration. This undermined Somali traditions and
weakened local elders, so when they converged they were this two
completely different countries in one alone, but with an ABISMAL
difference in population quantity, with Somalia having a larger ammount
than Somaliland.
Why is this bad? Having two VERY different clan groups making
decisions will not end up in agreements often, because cultural groups
have a wide set of beliefs that affect decision making and choices, and
given a choice, two cultural different groups are probably not going to
agree, specially because each clan has its interests and beliefs and way
of doing things.
Second, as stated, Somalia has a BIGGER quantity in population, so
even when voting, the outcome will ALWAYS be in favor of the Somali’s
clans.
Why is this true?
➔ Take in example in the 1960s elections to pass the constitution that was
VERY unfair to northern somalia (british somaliland) they were 80 000
voters in somaliland compared to the 600 000 voters of somalia, this
meant that despite opposition for the 1961 constitution, it was passed
even when In the majority of the districts in Somaliland the referendum on
the constitution held on 20 June 1961 was largely boycotted and, in sharp
contrast to the Somalia regions, in the vast majority of Somaliland regions,
the constitution was rejected.) and it's a trend that continued : The early
years of the union saw the steady political and economic isolation of former
Somaliland and its main towns, with political and military positions being
awarded disproportionately to “southern” Somalis.

01. REPARATION OF VICTIMS

Somalilands state besides being because of the reluctance of the African Union and the
UN of making them a country is a byproduct of the civil wars and the genocide, the
bombing and the killings made by Somalia (in its time, South Somaliland) to Somaliland
(North Somaliland). It’s
a post-conflict state. What does a post-conflict need
more? The construction of the truth so that the victims feel more repaired
and that there was an adequate process and what matters most to the
victims , and in this case, Somaliland and it’s people, the victims of the
bombing and the mass murder, are asking to be recognized sovereign to
 at least be separate from the country that made them so much damage,
that killed their people and that made them live thought a torture, which
effects last up to today. The principal things the state should do is not only repair
victims, but reconstruct institutions so they could be trusted and that’s what Somaliland
has donde for the last decades, so the only way Somaliland can reparate properly victims
is by Making themselves sovereign, because that’s what they are asking, to differentiate
themselves from the country that killed most of them and that is continuing to keeping
AIDS for itself.
The Role of the state in a post-conflict:
1. Verify priorities: The priority is being sovereign.
2. Considerable expenses: reparation for the victims (sovereignty,
NEEDED), construction of alternative justice (already did)3.
Reconsideration of the State model and its institutional organization:
there unfair and oppressive institutions were changed as history knows
So the only thing needed is SOVEREIGNTY.

PROBLEM 1: There has beenYears of severe drought, famine and other

disasters have pushed people to the brink of a humanitarian crisis
➔ for women and girls living in Somaliland, life can be extremely difficult;
It’s estimated 98% of women have undergone female genital mutilation.
Non-recognition by western powers is having an impact on the status of
women as well, western countries’ lack of engagement was opening the door
to the influence of fundamentalists from the Gulf, making it more restrictive
to women to live in those places
➔ citizens are basically ghosts unable to travel on their passports ignored
by the wider world unable to access basic global services.

● Only By being sovereign somaliland can receive funds to help this issues

PROBLEM 2: RELATIONSHIP WITH PUNTLAND

➔ We know about the problem with puntland but a little characterization will do
no harm: Today, the overwhelming majority of people in the center and
the west of Somaliland are in favor of independence. Here, the country
has developed impressively regarding infrastructure, private businesses
and in the educational sector over the last 15 years. Consequently,
international aid organizations and state agencies for development
cooperation increasingly engaged – short of international recognition.
Hargeysa developed into a real capital, at eye-level with major east
 African cities. The eastern parts of the country, however, are not yet at
peace; Somaliland only exercises limited control there and occasionally,
its troops meet with armed resistance. This is also where part of the
former colonial border runs. From an international legal perspective, it
would be important that Hargeysa controls this border effectively.
However, local militias in cooperation with Puntland are preventing this.
➔ At a national level, Somaliland’s unresolved status
regarding its independence claims regarding Somalia
remains an issue. Without progress regarding this dynamic,
Somaliland’s border with Puntland will always be
questioned.
➔ Somaliland status needs to be resolved (sovereignty) in order for its issues with puntland to
be resolved, or it could worsen their relationship with puntland.

HOW DO WE SOLVE THIS:

Somaliland can’t deal or make agreements with Puntland as a country because it ISN’T, By
giving them sovereignty the status of Somaliland gets clear, therefore you give it the authority
to make agreements/deals with Puntland about the borders and resolve the issue that wont
be solved if Somaliland stays the same, it could get even worse.

PROBLEM 3: THE MEDIA REPRESSION

Giving them sovereignty would mean they would have the advantages AND limitations of a
country: as a “ghost country” being overlooked, there is almost no knowledge about what
happens inside, and without being legally a COUNTRY, Somalilands constitution nule, and they
can abide by Somalia’s constitution, (AND SOMALIA BEING A FAILED STATE IT I) and legally
being part of Somalia, if they do anything, they can’t be legally prosecuted AS A COUNTRY,
somalia will be the one that can get prosecuted, so logical step, making them a country would
make them have to attain to their constitutions or else they can be LEGALLY prosecuted SO its
more likely for our side to solve better this issue.
comparative
Which world benefits the actors the most?
What world is more realistic?

Why is it the most effective and we don't prefer any over this one?

OPPOSITION:
Characterization:

1. Somaliland it’s not God’s chosen place of peace. The

problem with PROP possible characterization and The
problem with all of these comparisons is that—given
the dismal human rights situation that prevails across
the region—they set the bar extremely low. Viewed
objectively, Somaliland’s human rights gains are both
limited and fragile. Despite the achievements, human
rights violations by government officials occur with
impunity.
2. being an independent country before just shapes perceptions
about its case. This means that even that it was independent
before, it isnt really important and doesnt have as much as
impact because
a. If a country voluntarily joins another country it doesn't have
the right to regain independence, and so countries wouldnt
want to disrespect the territorial integrity of Somalia.
b. Even though it has become an important moral argument
heavily pressed by somaliland leaders, its previous
independence does not carry as much weight as many would
 want; the traditional rules concerning secession don't quite
apply to somaliland in the same way they do elsewhere;
somaliland hasn't really faced the opprobrium usually
reserved the unilateral secession in IR, because it was once
an independent country and isn't actually a case of invasion
and occupation by an external actor- as is the case in many
other instances.

Arg #1: It would destabilize the order-and would

make worse what’s already bad
clarifications: Somaliland’s biggest problem has not been the strong opposition
to its existence as an independent state as is the case in many other examples
of secession, instead as is highlighted by its engagement with the outside
world, its real problem has been international concern about the implications of
formally recognizing that independence
01. “DONT TOUCH POLICY”: There exists a, lets call it, “dont touch policy” with african
colonial borders because once you change one of them you are on a
slippery slope to change ALL of them due to their nature, so most
countries arent keen to pull that first block.When africa was divided they
werent really thinking about africa’s demographic, so in a single african
country there can be multiple ethnical groups that probably will prefer to
be independent. If they start granting sovereignty to little ethnically
centered states such as Somaliland, then, for ex, the ethiopians would
too and then all africa
why is this bad?: as a general rule secession movements involve
fighting, wich the african union is keen to avoid, and all these states,
clans and territories claiming independence will make africa be in a state
of total chaos within each country, affecting every aspect (social,
economical, political, etc), and the independence of a country doesn’t
assure it will be a good thing
why is it probable:
1) ,other parts of the country (Somalia) due to its instability will try to
follow; they are divided into SO many clans that fights that will be
steered up thanks to Somali’s independence WILL BE DOOMED
TO HAPPEN.
 impact: This fracturing could make tackling long-standing problems
of warlordism, terrorist groups and piracy in Somalia even more
difficult.
2) EX OF AFRICAN FAILED INDEPENDENCE: eritrea and South
sudan, a gulag state and a war zone respectively that dont help
somaliland’s case
3) For Somaliland, the frustrating reality is that the world map is
preserved in place less by international law or even custom than by
what’s sometimes called “path dependence” – the thousands of small
decisions that, over time, lead to the creation of institutions, and that
are very hard to unmake without massive disruption. Countries tend
to stay the way they are, and people, with some justification, believe it
would be awfully difficult and dangerous to change them.*

02. RELATIONSHIP W PUNTLAND

Somaliland and Puntland have a very rocky relationship, and Their
conflict is because of a dispute of borders, putting it short so, logicallly if
you give Somalilands their defined borders, WHILE disputing those
borders between them,it will cause CONFLICT.
How is this true?The eastern parts of Somaliland are not yet at peace;
Somaliland only exercises limited control there and occasionally, its
troops meet with armed resistance. This is also where part of the former
colonial border runs. From an international legal perspective, it would be
important that Hargeysa controls this border effectively. However, local
militias in cooperation with Puntland are preventing this, and Puntland
wants to Somalia to become united again while disputing those borders
with Somaliland, so by making them sovereign and establish officially the
borders, it will lead to more conflict between these two
impact: escalation would likely herald a protracted conflict with
devastating consequences for northern Somalia and the potential to
fuel further instability across the country..A confrontation between
them would have disastrous consequences for much of northern
Somalia but also risks contributing to instability across the country.
It also could play into the hands of the Al-Shabaab insurgency or
even the Islamic State (ISIS) branch in Puntland.Their goal is to
strengthen Somali unity.

03. Lack of freedom of speech:

 besides what i said in the first point, and knowing how Somaliland is with
the press, giving Somaliland the power lt would mean they have the
means to reinforce this and silence the press so we outsiders won’t know
whats going on inside and they wont get prosecuted even if they could.
IF THEY HAVE THE POWER TO DO THIS BEING A TERRITORY WHAT
WILL HAPPEN IF THEY BECOME A COUNTRY.
EX: Over the time the authorities in Somaliland appear to have stepped
up their attack on dissenting voices by shutting down media houses,
arbitrarily arresting and prosecuting individuals perceived as critical of
government policies and officials.
impact: JOURNALISM gets secluded to just what the govs wants us
outsiders and insiders to hear and they could get away with things now
that they have the power.

04. It would affect the image of the African Union:

Fighting a decades long civil war to split a country in two isn’t something
exactly this groups would want to reward with international recognition.
African colonial borders should stay as it is for the sake of stability. Many
people and countries will see this as extremely unfair and threatening to
the international safety, and rewarding a state that is seen as wanting to
“split a country in two” and that is also in conflict with other autonomous
state because of its borders (Puntland) will make the African Union
receive a bad image, because if you give this little state the sovereignty,
why wouldn’t you do it to others? Making stronger the first point

COUNTERFACTUAL
As much as we defend the status quo, we can offer too a counterfactual that could benefit
Somaliland rather than just being a ghost.
ex: this can work as if there is a flood in a city and you send the help
directly to the city, its just making Hargeisa another point of receiving AID.

01. Making Somaliland a semi-autonomous state, while with clear

borders with puntland and somalia.We could then in Somalia make
two different places to send aids: to Hargeisa and to Mogadiscio, in
 order to each region receive the aids destined to them. for the things
that need international fund, then you just legalize Hargeisa as a receiver
of it as much as Mogadiscio is and by that you separate

02. Somaliland already is receiving lots of international help and

relationships, countries are trading w them such as holding talks with
Taiwan, another state that among its priorities has the same as
Somaliland and is in an agreement with the UAE for its development to
build a port and military base in Berbera.so it’s not like nobody helps
them
03. for the currency: Their currency can be legalized as withing
Somalia: a nation may have more than one in legal use, as have
been the cases of Cuba and France. Usually, people are familiar
with the currencies of most of each country, but few know that in
several of these there may be, or accept, more than one. As well
with the passports, giving them Somali passports attached to
Somaliland’s ones.
04. for the patriotic symbols: In my country, regions have flags, so
who says that Somaliland as an semiautonomous state can’t
have its anthem, flag, etc.
05. African countries that have been recognised, they are still struggling,
So, its better a de-facto state, or even better, a semi-autonomous state, is
better. Because many recognised states in Africa failed, and they became
a one-party system of a dictatorship with no free media and no space for
citizen participation. For us, we have so many things. No limitations, no
restrictions.Looking at the decades of support given by the US to
dictators such as Mobutu Sese Seko, or considering the destabilising role
of western oil companies in countries such as Nigeria, there’s a case to be
made that if that’s what engagement with the outside world means for
fragile African states, maybe Somaliland has been better off without it.
comparative
Which world benefits the actors the most?
What world is more realistic?

Why is it the most effective and we don't prefer any over this one?
FUENTES:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOkZKiVUg10&list=WL&index=5
Somaliland: The Tragedy of Africa's Secret State

Why did Somalia fail? (Short Animated Documentary)

The Somalia Somaliland Conflict Explained
Africa's Newest Nation? Should Somaliland Become an Official Country? - TLDR
News
Somaliland economy: International investments remain a challenge • FRANCE
24 English
Somaliland Is Independent. So Why Does No One Recognize It?
Somalilandia, la paradoja del país sin reconocimiento
El reparto de África: por qué sus fronteras son injustas
https://www.ispionline.it/en/publication/somaliland-30-years-de-facto-statehood-and-no-end-sight-
30363#:~:text=Perhaps%20the%20most%20important%20factor,the%20rest%20of%20the%20c
ontinent.
https://www.ispionline.it/en/publication/somaliland-30-years-de-facto-statehood-and-no-end-sight-
30363#:~:text=Perhaps%20the%20most%20important%20factor,the%20rest%20of%20the%20c
ontinent.

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/jul/20/when-is-a-nation-not-a-nation-somalilands-dream-
of-independence
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/jul/20/when-is-a-nation-not-a-nation-somalilands-dream-
of-independence
https://www.crisisgroup.org/africa/horn-africa/somaliland/141-averting-war-northern-somalia
https://cpj.org/2018/06/somaliland-arrests-journalists-bans-tv-stations/
https://www.actionaid.org.uk/about-us/where-we-work/somaliland/somalia-somaliland-differences
-explained
https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/somaliland-where-sovereignty-means-something
https://www.ft.dk/samling/20161/almdel/URU/bilag/265/1786944.pdf
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/press-release/2019/07/somaliland-escalating-censorship-haras
sment-and-prosecution-of-government-critics/
https://pulitzercenter.org/stories/valley-death-somalilands-forgotten-genocide