“Somaliland’s Statehood Revisited: Legal Restoration, Not Secession”

Gulaid Yusuf Idaan
Senior Lecturer and Researcher, specializing in diplomacy, politics, and international relations in
the Horn of Africa
Idaan54@gmail.com
Abstract
This article evaluates Somaliland’s pursuit of international recognition through a detailed analysis of international law principles (uti possidetis juris, self-determination, state continuity, and the legal defects of the 1960 union), historical precedent, and regional geopolitics. Since declaring independence in 1991, Somaliland has functioned as a de facto state, meeting the Montevideo Convention’s statehood criteria. By examining its colonial history, defective union with Somalia, and comparative cases, this article argues that Somaliland’s claim to sovereignty is legally robust and politically justified. It critiques the African Union’s misapplication of uti possidetis and highlights Somaliland’s stabilizing role in the Horn of Africa, advocating recognition as a legal and strategic imperative.

Keywords: Somaliland, international recognition, self-determination, state continuity, uti possidetis juris, rebus sic stantibus, African Union
Introduction
The recognition of new states

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Somaliland’s Statehood Revisited Legal Restoration, Not Secession