The first installment in the 2019 Summer Teleconference Series on territorial disputes, featuring Somaliland.
It has been 28 years since Somaliland broke off from Somalia, becoming a self-declared state. Despite not being recognized by any country as a sovereign nation, it has remained relatively stable with its own police, army, and currency. The United Nations and the African Union have expressed hope that the state will reunite with Somalia, but is a reunification likely? Recently, Kenya has made further moves to establish a diplomatic relationship with Somaliland, but many see the idea of this breakaway state as a threat.
Would a sovereign Somaliland set off a trend of breakaway states across the African continent? What is the case for Somaliland to become part of the international community?
Featuring:
Bronwyn E. Bruton, Deputy Director, Africa Center, Atlantic Council
Bronwyn Bruton is a recognized authority on the conflict in Somalia. She has authored a series of prominent reports and journal essays on the Horn of Africa, including the 2009 Foreign Affairs essay, “In the Quicksands of Somalia,” and the widely-read 2010 Council on Foreign Relations special report, Somalia: A New Approach. Read more.
