By Somalilandtimes network

Hargeysa, Somaliland, February 19, 2006 – Over the years, changes have been made to the map of the world. For instance after WWII, Russia swallowed several eastern European states and formed the Soviet Union. But after the collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1981, the Soviet Union disintegrated and there emerged independent countries that the world recognized without a whimper.

Changes in the world map attract the attention of the already existing states. They can either approve or disapprove the changes. In the practice of international relations, there is no universally formulated criterion for recognition of governments except that in the opinion of the recognizing state the recognized government is willing to fulfill its international obligations and is capable of representing a state whose writ runs in the country, meaning it commands the support of the population. It is generally agreed that the new government should possess factual control and ensure a sufficient degree of stability.

But the requirement of stable and effective government for statehood has not been applied rigidly. For instance the former Belgian Congo (now DRC), Burundi and Rwanda were granted independence and recognized as states while they had no effective governments. As recently as 1993, Israel and PLO signed accords recognizing each other yet the later had no effective control over the Palestinians.

Despite the fact that Somaliland has all the ingredients of an independent state, the international community has not recognized it.

In 1949, the International Law Commission held its first session and the recognition of states and governments was one of the topics it considered suitable for codification. However, within no time, it dropped the topic on grounds that "the question of recognition pertained to the province of politics rather than of law".

In the absence of codified rules, international practice has been that states recognize governments depending on their selfish interests.

The irony of Somaliland is that in its bustling but impoverished capital of Hargeysa, the most striking contrast with most African cities is the sense of order. Police, who, given their meager salaries, are virtually volunteers, stand in the hot sun and direct obedient drivers. Moneychangers sit on the side of the streets with huge piles of cash visible, waiting for customers.

"Order is supposed to be the defining characteristic of a state. But Somaliland is recognized by no country. Instead, the world insists on clinging to the fiction that Somalia has a government that rules over a united territory. Understanding why the world pretends that Somaliland does not exist tells us much about the foibles of the international politics of recognition," says Jeffrey Herbst, Chairman of the Department of Politics at Princeton University, USA.

Pundits posit that recognizing Somaliland would send signals to Africa that performance matters and that sovereignty granted in the 1960s will not be an excuse to fail forever.

Source: The Standard, February 19, 2006

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