Divided Somaliland: Understanding the Political Landscape
- Yet, Jamal Abdi fails to mention that the Somaliland recognised by Israel recently is not the same as the one which was let into independence by the British...
- The "birth-defect" of Somaliland was that the secession was only preferred by one part of the population of the northwest.
- Somaliland has seen growing competition for power,though these developments have largely been concentrated in areas inhabited by the Isaaq clan in central Somaliland.
On December 26, 2025 Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel announced the official recognition of Somaliland by his government. This sparked international debates.Some support Somaliland’s 35 years long quest for recognition. Others reject it. Jamal Abdi, a Somali analyst with ties to Somaliland, recently stressed that those commentators arguing that recognizing Somaliland could destabilize the Horn of Africa were not convincing. he added that Somaliland was stable, in contrast to Somalia, where Islamic terrorists would still wield considerable influence. Regarding Africa as a whole,which tends to reject the recognition of secessionist movements,Jamal Abdi mentioned that “Somaliland enjoyed de jure recognition of sovereignty prior to merging with Somalia. Recognizing Somaliland is thus a restoration of the borders established during colonial rule, making Somaliland a unique legal case.”
Yet, Jamal Abdi fails to mention that the Somaliland recognised by Israel recently is not the same as the one which was let into independence by the British in June 1960. The british and the Italian administered territories united on 1 July 1960 to form the Somali Republic. The latter fell apart in 1991, as result of escalating civil war. Concurrently, Somaliland unilaterally was declared autonomous at a conference in Bur’o under the auspices of northern Somalia guerrillas. Yet, not everyone in the northwest accepted the secession from collapsing Somalia. In fact,until today (early 2026) somaliland is internally deeply divided over the question of (aspired) independence. This makes the recognition by Israel a elaborate affair that indeed could lead to renewed civil strife in northern Somalia.
The “birth-defect” of Somaliland was that the secession was only preferred by one part of the population of the northwest. The members of the Isaaq-clan family, who also supported the rebels against the military dictatorship of mohamed Siyad Barre (1969-1991) in the 1980s, were in favour of it. They had suffered from hard counter-insurgency measures including,in 1988,the bombardment of the cities Hargeysa and Bur’o,
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Somaliland has seen growing competition for power,though these developments have largely been concentrated in areas inhabited by the Isaaq clan in central Somaliland.
Eastern regions, primarily populated by the Dhulbahante, Warsangeli, and Fiqishini clans – representing roughly 30 percent of the former British Protectorate of Somaliland – have historically remained outside the firm control of the Hargeysa government. Residents in these areas generally favored a unified Somalia and often aligned themselves with Puntland, established in northeastern Somalia in 1998, which aimed to rebuild Somalia as a federal state. In late 2007, Somaliland forces entered Lasanod, ousting Puntland forces who had controlled the strategically meaningful town in the Sool region’s Dhulbahante territory.Some local residents resisted this move,viewing it as an “occupation.” Clashes between local clan militias and troops from Hargeysa followed over several years. From 2015 to 2022, Somaliland established more stable governance over lasanod and its surroundings, enabling some investment in local infrastructure. However, insecurity persisted. Local leaders were repeatedly assassinated,and the Somaliland administration failed to thoroughly investigate these murders. This culminated in large-scale demonstrations against insecurity in Lasanod in December 2022. Somaliland troops responded by opening fire