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Here we go again. Another high level international figure talks big
about helping Somaliland but delivers little. The official in question
this time is the European Union’s Commissioner for Development, Andris
Piebalgs, who came to Somaliland this week. Mr Piebalgs praised
Somaliland’s democracy as a model for IGAD countries, highlighted the
European Union’s aid to the country and promised more assistance in the
future. But despite the glowing language the reality is that as IEWY
News put it, “On-going, mostly multi-year EU-funded programs in
Somaliland currently amount to approximately €62 million.” The key word
here is multi-year, which means that this is not assistance for one year
but assistance over several years. So what all this talk about helping
Somaliland amounts to is 62 million Euros over several years. Though
Somalilanders appreciate every penny of assistance they get, and do not
want to sound ungrateful, the fact is that this is very little
assistance.
Part of the problem is in the way the assistance is framed. The
predominant narrative has been, and still is, that Somaliland deserves
assistance because it is a democracy in a region ruled by autocracies.
Although this narrative has helped in establishing Somaliland’s
political credentials and garnered sympathy for it among enlightened
world opinion , it has some serious shortcomings, chief among which is
that it makes it seem as if the European Union and the rest of the
international community are helping Somaliland for altruistic reasons,
namely, Somaliland’s adoption of a democratic form of governance, when
the reality is that the European Union is helping Somaliland because it
is in its vital interests to do so. For anyone who doubts this, all they
have to do is look at how much in tears and treasure the terrorism of
Mogadishu and the piracy of Puntland is costing western governments and
businesses.
The conceptualization of Western assistance to Somaliland as some sort
of altruistic humanitarian assistance explains why it took Mr Piebalgs a
whole year to come to Somaliland. It explains why after twenty years of
peace in Somaliland, the European Union is just now beginning to set up
a study of the Berbera corridor. It explains why the European Union has
not had any meaningful development program in Somaliland. It is a
conceptualization that has worked well for the European Union and the
international community because it allows them to morally feel good
about themselves and actually do little for the country, so they have no
incentive to change it.
Since it is Somaliland that is getting the short end of the stick, then
Somalilanders must initiate the necessary re-conceptualization of their
interaction with the international community. While still upholding
their democratic form of government, Somalilanders must re-frame their
foreign relations in terms of security and economics. The reason is
simple: security and economics are arenas for mutual benefits, whereas
democracy is a one-way street (the strong democracy helps the weak
democracy).
Somaliland has a strong case that it is not getting a free ride and is
contributing to both the security and economies of western countries.
The biggest current threat to western security interests is terrorism;
Somaliland plays an important role in fighting terrorism. Another threat
that has been menacing western economies is that of piracy; Somaliland
has prevented its land and seashores from becoming bases for pirates
which has saved western citizens and governments millions of dollars.
Looked at in this light, it becomes clear that Somaliland is paying its
dues and meeting its end of the bargain, whereas the European Union and
the international community want something for nothing or next to
nothing. This situation cannot go on. Time for a paradigm shift in
Somaliland-EU relations.
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