Why Strong Domestic Policy Should Be Our Foreign Policy.‎‎

By Said Ahmed, Nairobi , Kenya

As Somalia ’s weak TFG and the UIC continue to get all the global attention, Somalilanders are asking where we have gone wrong. Whilst some Somalilanders blame the international community’s blind policy on Somalia , but the voices of those blaming Somaliland ’s foreign policy is getting louder and louder. It is this frustration that has led one Somaliland commentator to recently suggest a more radical foreign policy for Somaliland that entailed closer diplomatic ties with the state of Israel.

On the contrary, Somaliland’s foreign policy has been a success, in that it has achieved what it was intentionally designed to achieve. It is therefore our expectations that are misplaced, because we can not expect a policy to deliver something it was not intentionally designed to deliver. Somaliland’s foreign policy is formulated to capture maximum international attention in attempt to raise the profile of the country and if the literature on Somaliland out there is anything to go by, Somaliland’s foreign policy has been a major hit. Furthermore, it is been implemented by one of the most competent ministers in the entire government, so the criticism that an incompetent minister may be to blame for the luck of progress is also inapplicable.

So what can then explains Somaliland’s lack of progress. The answer to this question is that foreign policy isn’t necessarily the right policy under the current circumstances. Whilst Somaliland has a strong legal and moral case for independence, but the African Union, whom the west conveniently assigned our case to, isn’t ready and will never be ready to discuss Somaliland owing to powerful interest groups both within and outside the A.U. The gestures that have been coming from Addis Ababa in recent years are all they are: just gestures and not concrete commitments to deal with the issue of Somaliland once and for all. The failure to include Somaliland in the agenda at the recent A.U. Heads of State and Government Summit in Banjul showed the procrastination of the A.U, which actually is a trademark of this organization.

Western policy reversals are also quite unlikely in the near future. This is partly because the west has made it clear that Somaliland is an issue for the A.U. to take the lead on and partly because the Somaliland diaspora neither possess strong lobbying capabilities nor are electorally significant in any western nation. Granted, there are some successes in Europe, like the U.K, where an All Party Parliamentary Group for Somaliland was recently established. But this group not only has to contend with the strong pro-Somali policies of the U.K government, it has also limited support and lobbying from the Somaliland community. Faced with these obstacles, the parliamentary group will never be able to put the issue of Somaliland in the agenda.

Although the future may look and sound bleak, there is however an alternative route and future for Somaliland. I would recommend the government to pursue rigorous domestic reforms and let domestic successes to shape the case for international recognition. Domestic policies in this context refer to a raft of policies designed to strengthen the state. Although Somaliland has achieved a democratic status, it is nonetheless a very weak state, where corruption and nepotism are rampant, security forces and clanism pose continuous threat to democracy and stability, national institutions are weak and not respected and national cohesion is non existence at all.

The idea that international recognition will solve Somaliland’s problems is frankly ludicrous and a dangerous one. On the contrary, international recognition and the access of loans and aid will, in the absence of a strong state, disunite Somalilanders, create rampant corruption and lead to poor clan relations. The ultimate result of recognition could be the establishment of the 55 th failed African state. If you don’t think this is possible, ask any Eritrean whether their dream of Eritrea fifteen or twenty years ago is the Eritrea they live in today.

The idea of a rigorous domestic reform agenda is not only to create a strong state that is stable, prosperous and peaceful and that can withstand the tests of clanism and reintegration into the international community, it is also an opportunity for Somalilanders to shape their country without IMF or World Bank forcing us to adopt domestic reforms that were never tailored made to our needs. Many may disagree, but if were are to rid corruption, nepotism and clanism in Somaliland, an influx of international aid and loans, will only make such task more difficult.

A domestic focused agenda will also further distance Somaliland from Somalia, thus making any future reintegration between the two impractical. With regards to political maturity, Somalia is already behind and by accelerating this process and creating our own political culture, identity and institutions; it will become more difficult for the international community to pursue a policy of reintegration, without undermining democracy and stability in Somaliland. Taiwan is a perfect example in this case, because not only is U.S support for Taiwan based on geopolitical reasons, but also the fear that reintegration will undermine Taiwanese democracy and society.

In the final analysis, the A.U isn’t prepared to recognize Somaliland and the west will not change their policy as long as their priority is to create a functioning central government in the south. Faced with these circumstances, the government should accept that international recognition will take longer. Rather than waiting for that day, Somaliland should embark on a rigorous nationhood building programme to get it ready for that day. The argument that lack of money is an impediment to such reforms is ludicrous. To fight corruption and nepotism, instill democratic values, create respect for our institutions and national cohesion does not cost millions of dollars. The government should also bear in mind that taking a bold step in domestic reforms, will also enhance the international standing of Somaliland and may even make Somaliland a role model for others to copy.

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