by Goth Mohamed Goth

The City of Sheffield has become the first city in the world to officially recognize Somaliland as an independent nation this after members of the city council unanimously passed by 83 members,2 voted against and 1 abstention earlier today.

Wednesday 2 April, Sheffield City Council voted to pass a motion recognising Somaliland’s right to self-determination, and calling on “the British government to recognise Somaliland as an independent state and to encourage other governments around the world to do the same.”
The historic debate was tabled by Councillor Mohammad Maroof who yesterday received over 2,000 signatures from the Somaliland community in Sheffield, petitioning the council to support recognition.

The Foreign Minister of Somaliland, the country’s most senior statesman aside from the President, Mohamed Bihi Yonis spoke in the Council Chamber, “Somaliland is a peaceful, democratic nation, which has been striving to be recognised by the international community since declaring independence in 1991. Sheffield’s decision will help strengthen our campaign for recognition.”

Councillor Neale Gibson (Lab) noted that “Somaliland fulfils all the criteria for statehood required by international law. A permanent population. A defined territory. A government. And the capacity to enter into relations with other states.”

Councillor Ben Curran (Lab) said “We hope that Sheffield’s support is just the first step to helping Somaliland fulfil its right to self-determination.”

Councillor Julie Dore (Lab) said “We fundamentally believe in Somaliland’s right to self-determination.”

The Energy Minister of Somaliland Hussein Abdi Dualeh thanked local Labour MPs Paul Blomfield and Clive Betts as well as City Councillors for their support of Somaliland’s independence.

Somaliland sees this as an important, breakthrough moment for their campaign to be recognised as an independent nation by the international community. Their Independence Day will be celebrated around the world on 18 May.

This Friday, 4 April, Sheffield Central MP Paul Blomfield will be speaking at ISRAAC, the Somali Community and Cultural Association, in support of Somaliland’s case for recognition.

 

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

1 COMMENT

  1. Good start. Cardiff will be the next city to recognize Somaliland, and others will follow. Viva Somaliland.

  2. UN is made up of member states, member states have parliamentarians and the parliamentarians have constituencies. If you win over enough parliamentarians you’re close to winning over that country. Somalilanders are very good at organising at grassroots level so it’s important that Somaliland expatriates invest enough energy in local politics. Be part of the communities you live in, contribute to its well-being and visibly get engaged in local issues.

  3. This is very desperate move by those seeking recognition, seriously a city has recognized Somaliland, small city county in England and it was attended by Somaliland officials. May be they should come to Minneapolis, Minnesota because USA City or county carry more weight in terms of credibility than a English City or county, plus Minneapolis is a city inhabited by all Somalis including all clans so it will be a good victory, kkkkkkkk This is becoming a laughing matter. My brothers in the North need to look themselves in the mirror and say no recognition is on the horizon may be we should just talk to the Southerners since without their blessing nothing will be possible.

    • Wadani!!
      you are delusional at best if not out right imbacile . What southerners should we talk to ? To the common criminals and pirates whose houses are on fire for well over 25 years?
      Well asking Minneapolis to recognize Somaliland…I'm sure that will rally around the wellfare cheats to come out , since they dont have real jobs .

    • next time you know someone who needs an operation – you will have to refuse it. The knife will have been made in Sheffield. Stainless steel etc was first made in Sheffield etc

  4. very welcoming news,, congratulations to all hard working somalilanders and many thanks to city of Sheffield and it's council. (Haani Gun Bay Ka Tolantaa my fellow somalilandrs)

  5. Wadani,

    I don’t think this is about stopping seeking recognition from UN member states. That will always be there and it rests mostly on the shoulders of the Somaliland government and how resolute they make their country. Somaliland expatriates, however, have an opportunity to influence their constituency MPs who will in turn feed their party machine. In democracies, the governments are run by parties whose members are elected from constituencies. I think you’re capable to finish the rest of where I’m going with this.

  6. The recognition's quest just gotten insurmountable

    Before it was country by country approach – that did not work.
    Now lets try city by city then it will come back to country by country — see above

    • No it will never get back to that point qule i assure you on this. We're never going back we are going on and on and on. wake up and come off your bad dreams.

  7. Compare:

    – A Recognized Country where the government does not control even one city, nor half, nor a quarter but a mere 4Km Sq that is constantly bombed by it's own people.

    Vs

    – An unrecognized country where it's government is in control of 100% of it's territory, not only that but it also manages the airspace of it's neighboring state(failed state).

    🙂 it depends on your lens magnification is suppose.

  8. Saciid Dooro IYO CIYAALO KACAANKIISII MIDNA OOHIN KAMA DHAMAATO….SOOMAALILAND CARAWDEE HA SOO CELIN.

  9. Mr Wadani.

    Nice to see you.

    The worst mistake made by post independent Somalian elite was the complete rejection of colonial borders.They had convincing reasons .It was to incorporate all Somalian races with out addressing the similar political question of black Jubaland and Ogaden particularly of British Somaliland. Now when sister city of Cedar riverside and Sheffield including Rob Gebeya of Nazret city(with a large population of different Somalians) in Ethiopian established sisterly relation with Hargessa it has a huge effect on the political chain of events.How about the city of Jijiga establishing sisterly relations with Hargessa?.In 2010 the trade and economy of Jijiga and Hargessa was 875,000 dollar economy now it is more than 5,0000,00 dollar.Why?. Because people on both sides of the artificial borders are left with minimum government oversight.

    • @ Brooks nice to see you too brother, we can go back and turn every stone in order to really understand why our grandpa's and elders came together after the independence and overwhelmingly decided to join the North and the South together, I have a different take from your point of view, Somalis during the colonial era were nationalists who wanted to see all Somali speaking people under one flag and rightly so, they hated the white trash mainly English and Italians so they fought hard and rejected colonization. So those who want to bring back white trash colonial borders are basically insulting our grandpa's who fought against those same ideas, My brother Brooks I personally are for peace and prosperity and against bloodshed and tribalism be it my own village of Jilib which is now disputed city, the blacks you talking about are Bantu ooji, those people were slaves who fled from Tanzania and Zanzibar, they settled at the fertile lands of Jubbas, I respect them and I also speak the language Kisangua

  10. I welcome the news and congratulate all my fellow Landers in Sheffield! I dont know how long it will last but good work none the less. You're showing the brits that we have a politically active population and they will start to pay attention to our demands.

  11. Guul, Guul, haka dudo wixii dib u socdee dunda joogaane. Bal dayaay gidaarraa debcoo dumaya waa dhowee.

  12. Well done my felloew somalilanders…Its time for swedish somalilanders to wake up and follow da steps..

  13. Don't get over excited english man worshipers, sheffield leaders only accepted this as they know that those 2,000 votes would matter next time local elections comes in sheffield. You are a real joke you know, you are celebrating like a country just recognised you, when in reality it is only a small, remote city in the north of england that has an isaaq majority when it comes down to counting somalis. All this, while your somaliland leaders are in turki arranging the joint committee to control your so assumed sovereign air space with your eternal enemies, (the southerners).

    • Why do you care what we do. Stranded no where so u rather watch what we do, I take it. No matter how long it takes we will eventually see our flag flying in the un. In the meantime, keep being stranded no where.

    • We only worship the Almighty Allah and whole world knows that. If we are an english worshipers we would be doing like you musta faqash carpeting our bodies on the ground so that the italian man can work over them to keep his shoes from getting wet. Like you we were never colonized and never let strangers into our tribal settlements so they don't mix with us when they the italians were sleeping with grandmothers and your sistas. Somaliland was a protectorate and a colony like your's thus a proud man like us do not worship another man. If you talk about a recognition even though we are very grateful to our great brothers, sisters and friends abroad for their nationalist and heroic endeavors, we are still aware that the move is largely symbolic but we are not worried and we know of course that their is going to a better tomorrow for Somaliland and all Somalilanders Inshallah and that will come down onto your small sick heart like a thunder, so stay tuned. I still have a bad news for you and that's the fact that i am in no hurry since i am living at Home happily and nobody can reverse that fact and that i have broken all links with my enemies faqash. Good bye

      • YOU FOUGHT FOR THE BRITISH AGAINST THE DAROD DARWISH YOUR WOMEN WERE RAPED BY THEM AND YET THEY STILL WONT ACCEPT YOU. THE ISAAQ WERE JUMPING UP AND DOWN WHEN ISRAEL WAS THINKING ABOUT RECOGNISING THEM. ISAAQ ARE MIXED WITH WHITE PEOPLE NOT ARAB. INSHAALLAH ANOTHER BARRE WILL COME AND KILL U ALL

      • DONT WASTE YOUR TIME WALAL ON PEOPLE LIKE THAT PERSON. KEEP SERVING YOUR LAND PROUDLY.
        GOD BLESS

  15. Wadani, you said without the blessing of the southerners nothing will be possible, do you mean without the blessing of AMISOM?

  16. Kind of embarrassing to be recognized by a city council in one of the smallest and poorest cities in declined UK. Unless it's from the office of David Cameron, it's not worth mentioning. The council played the few emotional edoor to their advantage. If I was a Lander in Sheffield, I would sue the city council for misleading me to vote for them.

    Regards,

    Kayse, the only Edoor that tells the truth and nothing but the truth.

  17. hhhhhh funny story they said sheffield recognized somaliland, you guys stop dreaming while you are awake ok, its only garowe and mogadishu, that can give you recognition and they never ever gives you any recognition. Somalia its one nation and no one can divide us until we are alive.